(Soul Eater) Holding On
by Lil-prime9
Summary: Alice is a typical Meister who attends at the DWMA. Her silent nature is quite natural, and this girls' strange personality has caught the attention of a certain silver-haired professor. But, no matter how much he tried to speak to her, it always ended up in a none verbal conversation. Will Professor Stein able to unfold the girls' silent nature or will he end up empty-handed?
1. Chapter 1

**Guarding Secrets**

* * *

The bell rang throughout the DWMA; its students that used to crowd the hallways were now empty. The classes were now in session. A young meister was running down the halls, her footsteps were echoing the empty school corridors. Her panting was quick but that wasn't going to stop her from reaching her class.

After fifteen minutes of running, the young female meister finally reached her homeroom, the crescent moon. The girl had long wavy purple hair with a few cyan colored highlight streaks underneath, the length of her hair reached down to her rear end. Her clothing consisted of a sleeveless green shirt, along with a black skirt. She wore black high knee socks and some comfortable green closed-toe shoes and it had a cute little bow neatly located on the top. Finally, she wore a black choker that had the DWMA skull in the middle. 

The girl wiped away the sweat that was beneath her bangs as she now entered the classroom. All the student's attention were now drawn to her, the girl ignored the students' stares as she made her way towards her seat, which was next to the Lord Death's son. Before she had the chance to sit down, the professor spoke causing her to raise her gaze towards the teacher's green colored eyes, which were staring back at her lilac ones. 

"Alice, see me after class will you?" the silver-haired professor said in his usual bored tone as he began to turn the screw on his head. 

Alice only nodded and then seated herself silently while the class continued on. Someone rests their hand on her left shoulder, turning her head around and was now staring at the grim reapers sons' yellow pupils. She blinked several times before smiling warmly at him.

He had a concerned expression written across his face, he was worried and he had every reason to be. Death the kid was one of her closest friends, surprising isn't it? Sure, he was constantly complaining about everything being symmetrical but she's never bothered by his OCD one bit. It's what made him unique. 

"Hey, you alright?" kids' voice was full of concern yet it was enough to make Alice frown for a moment before she responded with a reassuring smile followed by a curt nod. 

Kid was not convinced with her reply, though, usually, he would go on a temper tantrum and attempt to pry the truth out of her but he held back, not wanting to cause a scene. But once they're out of the room he'll have a long good chat with her and he knew that she was never really good with words to begin with, in fact, Alice wasn't talkative...well, she never speaks, to begin with.

Some might say she is mute, others could say that she never speaks to anyone, not even to her own friends. She always relies on her flashcards and a notebook to write down her words. Nevertheless, she's always kind to others; always smiling and sending out positive energy towards the people around her. Many adore her, but some just find her completely odd and unusual. That's what makes her feel so special to him. 

The bell finally rang and the students were slowly disappearing from the classroom, except for Alice. She remained in her seat until everyone had left; she stood up and walks over to Professor Stein, who was sitting lazily on his stitched up chair.

The air around them felt thick and silent, it was beginning to feel little uncomfortable for Alice. The professor reaches out his left hand where it rests on his screw and began to twist it. 

"I believe you know why I asked you to stay now." his gaze was now focused on her, the shine from his glasses disappears revealing his dull green eyes piercing through her, "You're never late, Miss Kiyoko. Did something turn up?" he kept his tone dull and monotone but there was a hint of concern underneath his words. 

The girl was silent and staring fixedly at the professor, her stare never flickering and she didn't say a word.

This irritated him but he didn't show it, and then he watches Alice walk over to the blackboard in silence.

She grabs the white chalk and begins to write down something down on the board. As she finished, she places the chalk down and pivoted to face him, and then moves to the side.

He looks over at the now written blackboard, which read: _'I apologize Professor Stein. The reason I was late is that my alarm never went off. I forgot to set the timer on the silly little device but you needn't' worry. I won't be late again, I promise.'_

Stein's gaze was now on Alice, who was staring back at him with an apologetic smile on her lips. He didn't believe it, not one single bit. Stein knew that her smile was not genuine. He could see right through her lie, no one can read her as easily as he could. 

He got up from his chair as he now made his way towards her.

This made her flinch as she slowly backs away only to be introduced by the wall behind her. A small sweatdrop appeared on the side of her cheek, her eyes never leaving Stein. He was currently invading her personal space. His arms were resting on the wall behind her, preventing her from trying to flee. His tall frame loomed over her small petite body, it made her feel vulnerable. Her slightly pale cheeks flushed and averted her eyes elsewhere, luckily, Stein hadn't noticed this. 

Alice glances up at Stein; her eyes widen realizing his face was close to hers. He was hunched forward in order to be the same height as Alice. The way he stood over her, she could now see his eyes that were staring at her.

Both of them just stood there, staring, without a single being spoken before Stein suddenly spoke. 

"You're lying." he said narrowing his eyes at Alice, "You aren't being honest with me and you're evading my question." He was once again greeted by the silence and Alice still hadn't mustered out a single word.

No matter how much he wanted to hear her response, sadly, the only thing that he received was the silence that welcomed them. This really angered him, and his face scrunched up, and the look of displeasure was clearly written across his eyes. He hadn't notice Alice trembling slightly but she kept her composure, not wanting to anger him further. 

"Speak to me, you silly girl!" He yelled at her, anger was notable in his voice. Once he yelled, he immediately regretted it.

Alice's eyes were tightly shut; both her arms were outstretched and were resting on Steins' chest. She had grabbed onto his stitched-up, turtleneck shirt and gripped it tightly, accidentally digging her nails into his flesh. 

Stein was now filled with an emotion he hadn't felt for awhile...guilt. He could feel her nails digging into his skin but he didn't care, he felt so foolish for frightening her. 

"Alice...I-", before he could finish his sentence he felt two warm hands rest on either side of his cheeks and with wide eyes, he stares down at Alice's in utter shock.

She had a sad smile on her lips; her gentle hands were on his cheeks. The warmth that she was giving him made him feel strange, a feeling he couldn't even begin to comprehend. It all felt so foreign to him, although, the feeling didn't last long when she suddenly removed her hands from his face. The sad smile now changed into a reassuring one. 

"I-I'm sorry," Stein mumbled, the words naturally slipped out of his tongue and it felt so strange for him to say it. 

Alice shook her head in response, taking one last glance at him before walking away, exited the classroom.

Stein stood there, staring at the door from where she had let herself out. He lets out a frustrating sigh, his eyes drifting down to the floor and something caught his eye. A piece of paper was lying on the floor next to the door where the young meister had left. He, curiously, approaches the door and bent over to pick up the piece of paper and read it. 

_'I can assure you I am fine, professor. Don't be sorry for being concerned for me, after all, you were being a nice person after all.'_

He furrowed his brows when he finished reading the paper, and he knew that Alice wasn't being completely honest with him. _What was she hiding from him?_ It makes no sense to him as to why he felt so compelled to know. Her quietness is what intrigued him the most about her. _Was she afraid of her own voice?_ Or was it something else? Whatever it was he won't stop until he finally knows.


	2. Chapter 2

**Questioning Oneself**

* * *

A month went by since her 'talk' with Stein had taken place, and ever since that day, he's been observing her. Stein was frequently bumping into her and was trying to gain her attention which was working perfectly, but not in a good way.

Alice quickly caught on to his suspicious behavior and began to avoid him as much as possible. She was constantly hiding and always on the lookout for any signs of Stein being nearby. Even getting help from her friends when Stein would appear seemingly out of nowhere to come and talk to her.

It pained her to avoid him like this but Professor Stein was taking this situation to a whole other level and taking the role of a stalker to an extreme.

She's grateful for her friends' help and she hasn't seen him outside of class for almost two weeks now.

A soft sigh escapes from her lips as she rested comfortably on her soft yet comfy couch.

Her apartment complex wasn't all too special and was like any other apartment around Death City. It had two bedrooms (her room and a spare guest bedroom), one washroom, a narrow linen closet near the washroom, a small broom closet near her room, a walled kitchen and a roomy living room.

Alice pulls a loose strand of hair behind her ear; she had her hair combed up into a messy bun with her bangs hanging freely across her face.

Today was like every other Saturday morning. The only difference was that many of her friends were out collecting kishin souls which meant they wouldn't be back for a day or two.

The thought of it made her frown significantly, hugging her legs close to her chest and resting her chin in between her knees.

It's been two years since she transferred to the DWMA and she's been a tremendous student. The only downside about her is that she's never had a Weapon partner. No one wanted her to be their Meister even if she was extremely talented; they simply refused for unknown reasons.

Just the mere thought of it made her feel pathetic, and then she squeezes her legs tightly in response.

 _'I don't know what to do. Am I even needed in the academy? No one wants me to be their Meister.'_

She remained motionless on the couch for a couple of minutes before unwrapping her arms from her legs and stood up with a look of determination written on her face.

Alice made her way into her bedroom, looking through her wardrobe and picks out an outfit.

She threw on a black sleeveless shirt, and then on top, she slipped on a white sweater that had two navy blue stripes on either side of the upper arm. Next, she had on navy blue shorts which were being engulfed by the bottom of her sweater, making it look like she had nothing underneath. Finally, she slips on a pair of black over-the-knee high socks accompanied by gray, closed toe shoes.

Alice walks over to the full body mirror and stares at her reflection. Her hand moves upwards, landing on her choker; her delicate fingers touching the academy skull gently.

There was a look in her eyes that she knew all too well. A deep sadness was suddenly overwhelming her and she could feel the lump in her throat forming, the ache was making it harder for her to swallow. She shook her head, brushing these emotions to the side, and was now heading out the front door.

Alice snatches her backpack from the coat hanger near the door and then heads out the door.

.

.

.

.

.

Alice was now wandering around the empty halls of the academy and was eagerly searching for the Death room to speak with Lord Death, but she ended up getting lost along the way. Even after two years since she transferred and yet she still gets lost.

She never understood how everyone knows where they're going, excluding the classrooms, throughout the deepest parts of the building. Everyone in this academy has some sort of trick that prevents them from getting lost.

Just the thought of it caused her to huff loudly in irritation.

Her solution to her predicament was to use Soul Perception to see the people's souls around her. The first thing she notices was that there wasn't many academy personnel around which made it harder for her to get around.

Alice's ability to easily describe a person's soul and their personality traits are remarkable. She's only nineteen and yet she's considered to be one of the most talented Meister to attend at the academy, this included her friends. But when her skills are used in battle is outstanding!

Her extraordinary use of her agility is what she's exceptionally talented at and Black Star had certainly got a good taste of her skills. When she first attended the academy he enthusiastically challenged her exactly two years ago.

She certainly taught the self-centered Meister a lesson when he began to criticize her in front of various students who were present around the courtyard that day. Those who were present were Tsubaki; his Weapon partner, Death the Kid, Liz & Patty, along with Maka and Soul. So it was no surprise to them when the fight ended almost instantaneously.

Alice had targeted the pressure points on his arms and legs which disrupted his wavelength flow and temporarily paralyzed him, thereby preventing him from moving for a period of time.

That particular memory made her smile like an idiot.

On that same day, Kid had introduced himself along with his Weapon partners. He was kind enough to give her a tour around the academy and his positive remarks regarding the structure of the academy building certainly caught her interest. But then something amusing happened.

Somehow Black Star managed to recover some of his movement to his legs and was running down the halls looking for her. He found her alright but then he stumbled forward with such force and literally did a barrel roll straight at Kid.

Black Star carried poor Kid across the hallway and thankfully, they came to a halt after coming in contact with a wall. Both were sprawled on the floor and were groaning loudly. By the time she got there, Kid was having a meltdown. Apparently, Black Star had ripped Kid's sleeves right off of his tux during their little ride across the hallway and now Kid was berating to himself, complaining about his outfit not being symmetrical anymore.

She walks over to him and knelt down, resting her hand on his shoulder. He turns to face her with tears streaming down his cheeks and he was utterly surprised to see her smiling down at him which caused his cheeks to flush with embarrassment.

Instantaneously, they became the closest of friends.

Alice just stood there completely motionless after the memories had flooded her mind. Her lilac eyes twinkled under the ray's of the laughing sun, a warm smile plastered on her lips.

The serene moment, however, was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps echoing through the empty halls.

She instinctively concealed herself in the dark parts of the hallway she was at, and she could see the person's soul coming from around the corner. It was Professor Stein.

Alice moved silently in the darkness while her hands were tracing across the walls, hoping to find a door handle so that she could hide from Stein.

 _'Wait - - why am I trying to hide? He's my professor for Death's sake!'_ she mentally questioned herself.

The feeling of a metal handle graced her fingers and she didn't even think twice before quickly and silently opened the door, closing it gently. She pressed her ear against the wooden door frame, quietly listening to the sounds of his footsteps pass by the dark room she was currently in. Just when she felt relief washing over her, however, this feeling didn't last long when she could no longer hear the sound of his footsteps anymore.

 _'You've got to be kidding me... I can't face him right now. I-I'm not ready!_ ' she closed her eyes shut.

The next thing she knew, her eyes flew open and the shivers traveled all the way down to her spine like wildfire.

"I know you're there, so come on out and show yourself."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Silent Moments**_

"I know you're in there, now come out and show yourself." 

His words had floated around the silent air as he stood there; his hands were inside of his pockets of his signature stitched lab coat. Stein had his cigarette placed upon his lips holding it lazily. The smell of the toxic smoke escaped his lips with a sigh.

Alice just stood motionless behind the door, not even daring to try and move a single muscle. A single sweat drop traveled down her forehead, the tension in the air was heavy and she wouldn't dare to break the silence that had welcomed her.

 _'If I say something he knows where I am. But if I don't he still knows where I am!'_ She screamed to herself hoping the Professor would kindly walk away.

His footsteps were heard, but this time it was getting closer until it stopped in front of the door she was currently hiding at. Alice placed both of her hands on her chest closing her eyes tightly. _'Please don't open the door, please don't open the door!'_

Stein stood in front of the door as he used his abilities to try and indicate any souls behind the door. He reached out his hand as it began to twist his screw. The professor was lost in his thoughts as he continued his actions before a loud 'click' was heard.

 _'That's odd. I could have sworn there would have been a person behind this door. Oh well...'_ the professor thought to himself, he shrugged in deep thought before taking his leave down the hallway.

The sounds of the professors' footsteps had died down leaving a certain girl in utter relief. Alice gently opened the door and her head emerged out first looking around cautiously. With a deep sigh, she closed the door and proceeded to find her way towards the death room.

Finally! The large door was now in her view as she approached it. She grabbed the circular handle knowing the door gently. No response. Alice knocked on the door again; still, there was no response from the other side. A frown had formed on her features as her head hung down sadly.

' _What now? I came all this way just to knock onto an empty room with a possibility that no one is even inside the room.'_ , closing her eyes as she stood there in silence, _'So much for trying to make a difference and to be of use to my friends. I'll never be able to keep up with kid and the rest.'_

A great deal of sadness flowed inside her as she tried to hold back the tears that wanted to spill out from her eyes. _No, I mustn't' cry... I mustn't._ Alice turned around and began to walk away from the door. While walking down the hallway, her head hung down sadly and her eyes remained closed shut, she suddenly bumped into someone which unfortunately made her trip forward.

Not bothering to open her eyes as she awaited the floor below her. To her confusion, she never reached down to welcome the floor. The person who she bumped into had caught her before she got the chance to hit the floor. Their arm was wrapped around her waist making sure their grip wasn't too tight. Although, when the stranger spoke she immediately knew who it is was. This made her cheeks heat up a deep red color.

"You should watch where you're going Alice, you're lucky that I caught you in time otherwise you would have fallen head first onto the floor by now." he nonchalantly said as he gently lifted her up.

Once she was on her feet, she stepped back leaving a great deal of space between them. Her eyes were glued to the floor not wanting to meet his gaze; the other reason was that her entire face was now crimson red. Stein tilted his head, a smile spread across his features as he leaned down near her forehead before speaking.

"Now, what's got you so timid today?", he said teasingly as he observed her shift, lowering her head more, avoiding any possible eye contact, "Come now, why don't we head out to the balcony of the academy. There is a lovely view of the city today." his posture was now once again aligned, though; he appeared to be slightly slouched forward.

Alice raised her head, now feeling the professors' presence was now at a good distance away from her. Her bangs allowed her to see through and caught a glimpse of the professor, who was standing there waiting for her to follow him. She fiddled with her fingers before nodding in response.

Both of them walked in silence down the corridors of the academy. Alice had her eyes glued to the floor, avoiding the professors' eyes. Stein was fully aware of her actions, though, he simply brushed it off as they now arrived at the balcony. The two of them approached the enclosed cement wall and stood there in silence as the wind blew over them.

The view from the balcony was absolutely stunning. The sun had a wide smile, laughing above the sapphire sky. A smile spread across the girls' features as she stared off into the city below her. The professor had been watching her; luckily, she didn't feel uncomfortable at the moment. This pleased him.

He took out his cigarette, blowing the toxic gray cloud from his mouth as it formed a death skull, "Beautiful, isn't?", his sudden remark caught her off guard as she now stared at him. Alice's gaze softens and nodded in response.

Stein looked down at her; the shine from his glasses disappeared allowing her to see his eyes. Her cheeks turned pink before she broke eye contact with her professor. This made him curious as he raised his left brow.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked lazily seeing her tense.

 _'Waa... What do I say!?'_ , she turned her head around facing the professor with a nervous smile upon her lips, a small drop of sweat appeared on her cheek.

This made him even more suspicious. She had to think of something fast before he can ask any more unnecessary questions. _Aha! I got it!_ Alice motioned with both of her hands for him to give her a moment. Stein just watched with a slight of amusement at the sight of her fiddling around with her small backpack. She took out a notebook along with a pen as she began to write. Stein resisted the urge to peek not wanting to seem too nosey.

Once she was done scribbling down her words, Alice revealed the notebook to him: _'Professor, do you know about Lord Deaths whereabouts?'_

Stein blinked, he glanced at his student who was now staring at him intently, "Umm..." unsure of what to say. He placed the cigarette stick in between his teeth while he rubbed the back of his neck, "To be honest with you, I haven't had the slightest clue on where he is."

Her mouth gaped open slightly; her features sadden before nodding in response. The professor watched as she gathered her belongings and placed them inside her backpack.

Stein gently placed his hand on her shoulder, which made her flinch as her gaze landed on her professor who was awfully close to her. Their faces were only a few inches apart. Alice's face became a hot mess and she was certain that the professor was not trying to flirt with her in any way. He's a sadistic scientist; after all, love was irrelevant for him. By now her professor is fully aware of her reddened face if it were possible to be redder; her face would be as red as a tomato and an apple combined.

"Since Lord Death is nowhere to be found." he slurred his words playfully, the smell of nicotine invaded her nose as she tried her best not to make an unpleasant expression.

"Alice, will you-", Stein was interrupted by a certain redhead as he turned his head around. It was Spirit.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING HERE?!" Spirit shouted pointing his finger at Stein.

"Oh, hello there Spirit." he removed his hand from her shoulder as he now stood up straight, "It's a nice day out here isn't?"

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME STEIN!", the redhead practically ran over to the nonchalant professor, grabbing him by the collar of his lab coat and swinging him back and forth," WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEING SO ODDLY CLOSE TO A STUDENT OF YOURS?!"

Alice stood there. Watching in complete horror as her professor was now being swayed all over the place by Death Scythe.

"Now, now, Spirit I wasn't planning on dissecting her if that's what you're implying." Stein raised both of his hand in defense, "Oh yeah?! How do I know she isn't one of your targets to be mutilated by your twisted tendencies?" Spirit raised his brow suspiciously.

Stein laughed half-heartedly before speaking, "Unless you would be willing to let me experiment with you like old times now.", he smiled sadistically which caused Death Scythe to scream in terror before being in a fetal position on the floor in a puddle of his tears.

Alice was dumbfounded by the scene before her. She felt terrible for him, although, it was funny seeing him freak out like a child. Spirit whined for a moment before regaining his composure, his gaze landed on Alice who was staring at him. He blinked a few times before his eyes, literally, changed into large pink hearts.

In a flash, he was in front of her. He kneeled down, grabbing onto her right hand, "Oh my dear Alice. It's so wonderful to see you again my love!"

A giant sweatdrop appeared on her head as she stared at Spirit awkwardly. He was clearly love-struck at her. Sadly, he does this to every woman. She doesn't hate him; he's just being dumb at the moment. Alice avoided her gaze at Spirit, her eyes then landed on Stein. Her heart dropped, he didn't look too pleased with the sight of Spirit being all lovey Dovey around her. A dark aura surrounded him that spread like wildfire. _Oh no!_ Alice worriedly tried to think of something before her professor literally kills Spirit. She took a deep breath as she pulled back her backpack that was on her left hand ready to strike poor Spirit. _I hope you can forgive me for this._

She swung her backpack onto Death Scythes' cheek. Though, what she did not realize was that her strike was so strong that she sent the poor man flying. His face had happily introduced itself by the wall, forming a huge dent along the way. Alice gasped silently, her hands cupping her mouth as she stared at a now bloody spirit sprawled on the floor, twitching.

 _'Oh... I used way too much force!'_ she screamed in her mind in terror.

Stein couldn't help but stare at Alice in awe; a small sweatdrop appeared on his cheek along with his mouth half open. A sadistic smile spread across his lips in amusement. The girl was simply full of surprises today.

He cleared his throat catching the girls' attention, "As I was saying." he nonchalantly shoved his hands into his pockets, "Will you accompany me around the city. I need help to pick up a few items I need for my experiments."

Her eyes widen slightly. A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she gazed down at the floor. _A walk around the city wouldn't hurt anyone, right?_ Alice glanced at the professor who was patiently standing there in silence. A smile appeared on her lips, nodding in response.

A wide grin formed on his lips, "Well, then. Let's get going Alice."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Sweet Despair_**

The sun had now begun to disappear over the horizon. The colors of the sky now consisted of a soft looking orange accompanied by a warm red. It was beautiful. Surprisingly, Alice was having a wonderful time with Stein. Walking alongside each other, Stein was doing most of the talking while Alice listened. Who knew the professor would be funny, in a way. His jokes mostly were darker than what she is normally used to, but, that didn't bother her at all. She held one hand to her lips while laughing under her breath. The professor seemed pleased that he was able to make Alice laugh, not many of his colleagues understood his dark humor. A grin appeared across his face as they both now walked in silence.

Soon they both arrived at a small; yet, the large looking building was filled with medical equipment. Stein opened the door motioning her to enter first, with a nod; she gladly stepped inside the store. Her eyes widen slightly seeing different varieties of surgical utensils. The store was quite large; its medical equipment was neatly placed in their specific area.

Stein walked passed her as he walked down the Aisle, she followed behind him at a slow pace. While stein looked through every shelf for the tools he needed, Alice was silently admiring the place. Her gaze soon landed on Stein, who was staring at her rather amusingly. Alice immediately blushed, lowering her head down while she fiddled with her fingers.

"You know, you don't have to be nervous around me.", he said bluntly. Alice raised her head, a small grin formed on her lips as she rubbed her cheek with her finger.

With that, he returned to look for the items. Alice followed, in case he needed any assistance. The professor stood still, looking at the knives that were hanging from the wall. A low hum emitted from his vocal cords before moving away, however, Alice didn't follow him this time. Stein noticed her footsteps weren't heard as he turned around, Alice stood in front of a lobe boning knives that stood out from the rest.

"Alice?"

No response.

He furrowed his brows as he made his way towards his student.

He now stood next to her, but she didn't seem to take notice of his presence. Alice's eyes stared off blankly at the knife, her pupils had shrunken and her mouth began to quiver. Stein called out her name but to no avail. He placed his hand on her right shoulder as he shook it while called out her name in a loud whisper, "Alice!" 

Alice finally snapped out of her trance, a single sweatdrop trailed down her cheek. Her head spun around quickly only to stare at the professor's concern looking eyes. She blinked before her features soften.

"Is everything alright?" Steins' grip on her shoulder tightens a bit. She stared at him before she smiled, nodding to his question.

His eyes narrowed slightly before he released his hand from her shoulder as he walked away. Alice stood there, alone. She placed both of her hands on her chest before exhaling softly. She cupped her face with both hands, remaining there in silence. The professor had been watching her from the corner of his eye; Alice didn't want to bother at the moment.

 _'What's wrong with me?'_ her question lingered in her mind before she furrowed her brows. Alice removed her hands from her face and walked away from the area filled with knives.

.''.''.''.''. A few minutes later .''.''.''.''.

After purchasing the items, professor stein, and his student each carried a medium sized box filled with medical equipment and a couple of first aid kits. The grinning moon had finally appeared as it grinds its teeth creepily above the starry skies. Stein walked ahead of the girl who was walking at a slow pace. Her mind had wandered aimlessly at the thought of the knife back at the shop. She froze in fear. There is no doubt that she had experienced a flashback of her past, that knife reminded her of that night where she-

"Welcome to my home!" Stein blurted out, his left arm was extended motioning towards his home. Alice's gaze was now on the eerie looking building.

Standing in front of the gate, the house was riddled with its signature stitch mark patterns all over the walls. Arrows were pointing in various directions; the trees had arrows sticking out from its seemingly dead trees instead of regular green leaves. Yep, this is Stein's house alright. She smiled in amusement before following behind the professor as he opened his door; Stein held the door for her as she silently complied with his kind gesture before he closed the door behind him.

 _'I can barely see anything in here.'_ blinking several times before her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, although it didn't last long when the lights suddenly flickered on. She immediately squinted her eyes, "Heh, heh, sorry about that. I don't use the lights often." he said while rubbing his head.

Stein had walked down the labyrinth halls, Alice made sure she followed right behind not wanting to get lost in the many confusing twists and turn. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, they arrived at an open door as the professor flicked a switch turning on the lights. It looked like a storage room riddled with boxes on top of the shelves. The room seemed to be dusty, as well as, it had dead skeleton bodies that belong to small insects. Alice kept walking, until she reached a desk, placing the box on top of it.

"Thanks for your help Alice. I appreciate it.", the professor said as he began to crank his screw. Alice nodded in response before turning around as her eyes landed on his.

The sound of the screw cranking had now stopped as the silence greeted them. Stein stared down at his student, his eyes studying her petite figure. From head to toe, he examined her features. It had been a year since she had transferred herself into the academy, and yet, he never noticed the short curly strand sticking out on top of her head. A sly grin appeared on his lips. Alice tilted her head to the side in confusion.

Stein approached her as he now stood in front of the confused looking girl. Alice didn't know if she should ask him what was wrong, then again she would have to mouth her words for him to understand. His eyes had never left her; this was beginning to make her feel a bit uneasy. Stein extended his right hand, and then time began to slow down. Alice was dumbfounded when his hand had gently been placed on her head. Her strand of curly hair flinched at his touch; her cheeks began to heat up at his odd gesture.

He chuckled as a smile spread across his face, "You're unbelievably cute.", his words echoed in her mind making her face heat up as she lowered her head down slightly, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!"

He removed his hand from his students head, walking across the room and began to open the file cabinet drawers one by one. Alice watched her professor as he began to search for something. She fiddled with her fingers until she glanced from the corner of her eye and saw a familiar figure holding a white stitched box. Blinking in awe, she stared at the box studying it curiously. Her eyes landed on the professor who had a wide smile on his lips.

"I want to thank you for your assistance Alice." he then handed over the box to Alice who took it from his grasp, "I know it's not much but... I do hope you use it more often." he adjusted his glasses as he then shifted his gaze away from hers.

Staring down at the box as she then removed the lid, her eyes widen and her cheeks began to heat up. Inside the box was a pair of white closed toe shoes, and ironically, the patterns on the shoes were stitch marks. By the looks of it, the shoes were handmade. Her eyes sparkled with pure disbelief; she was at a loss for words. Alice raised her head staring directly at her professor who stood there, his eyes staring back at her.

His eyes soften at the sight of the girls' reaction, it was... cute. It was something he will always remember, he chuckled to himself at the thought, "I see that you liked it now." her response was a happy nod, her cheerful smile spread across her lips. Her smile wanted to burst out from her cheeks if it allowed her to.

Alice made sure to place the lid back on the box. She then began to mouth her words to him, _'Thank you!'_ Stein pulled out a cigarette from his pockets as he then lit it up with a lighter; which appeared out of nowhere. He took a deep breath before exhaling the fume from his lips, "You're welcome." 

.''.''.''.''. An hour later in Alice's apartment .''.''.''.''.

The door closed behind her, locking it in the process. Taking off her shoes and placing them on a shoe rack on to her left. She threw her backpack onto the kitchen counter on her left before walking into her bedroom. Alice laid the white stitched box on top of her clothing drawer before she made her way to her bed.

Removing her clothing and folding them neatly. She put away her now folded clothes in her closet, taking out her pajamas along the way. Making her way down the small hall she entered the bathroom, locking the door. Once she was clean, she made her way into the kitchen grabbing a bottle of water as she now walked back in her bedroom. Plopping onto her comfy bed, she stared at the ceiling for what seemed to be an eternity.

Her eyes landed on her nightstand where a single lamp stood there, along with a cylinder shaped bottle with pills inside. She opened the bottle and a single white pill landed on the palm of her hand. Placing the pill in her mouth, she drank the water she grabbed from the kitchen before placing the water bottle on the nightstand. Pulling the covers over her, she positioned herself in a fetal position before closing her eyes drifting off to sleep.

 _No one loves you..._

 _You are useless..._

 _You will never be strong..._

 _Kill yourself_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Steins' Lesson**_

The class had now begun; the students were talking amongst their classmates as usual. Alice was sitting alone in her seat; her arms were crossed onto the table as her chin rested on top comfortably. Soul and Maka were below her. Both of them aren't always talkative with each other, but, today they seemed to be enjoying themselves with an interesting conversation. She didn't mean to ease drop, but that didn't stop her ears from listening intently.

"I can't believe you, Soul. How could you barge into a place filled with half-naked women?" Maka yelled at her partner, who was hunched forward with his hands inside his pockets as he tried to act cool, "Well sorry! How was I supposed to know that there would be a bunch of women there in the first place?" Soul glared at Maka who returned the same gesture.

Alice closed her eyes enjoying her time to herself that is until someone patted her left shoulder. She raised her head and was met with none other than Kid. He greeted her and she greeted back with a smile, Kid then sat down next to her.

"Good morning Alice." She took out her flashcards as she showed it to him which read, _'Good morning Kid.'_ the boy smiled in response. Alice placed the card with the others that were inside a notebook, the flashcards were neatly organized and it was color coordinated so that she could identify them easier.

"Tell me, how was your weekend Alice?" he asked curiously before she showed him another card, _'Oh, nothing interesting happened. I had been in my apartment, nothing special.'_ , Kid stared at her intently, his golden orbs narrowing slightly, "You know, you could have stopped by my mansion. I could have invited the others." Alice placed the card down, grabbing another one that read, _'I'm sorry.'_

"Honestly, Alice. I'm here, you are never alone. Next time, tell me when you have nothing to do. I can stop by if you'd like." he waved his hand back and forth. A smile appeared on her lips before showing another card, _'That sounds great!'_

As if on cue, Professor Stein entered the classroom with his famous rolling chair. The wheels of his chair hit the entrance of the door making him fall, again, as he spun around on the floor before finally stopping, "Today we will be sparring; two students must use hand-to-hand combat against their opponents. Those who win will be fighting other until one victor is left." the professor said bluntly as he stood up brushing off some dust on his shoulders, he picked up the chair as he sat down on the opposite side of the chair.

Maka raised her hand, waving it eagerly. The professor noticed this as he spoke, "Ah, yes Miss Albarn?", the girl nodded as she lowered her hand, "Professor Stein, what will happen if the meister or weapon wins the sparring lesson?", her question earned her a loud laugh from the professor, "That is something I rather not tell Miss Albarn.", his sadistic grin appeared on his face making everyone in the room shudder, except for Alice.

"I'm beginning to wonder that we will use our skills for his personal gain.", Kid looked over to Alice who held up a flashcard to him, _'Well, it's a good thing I chose to wear shorts today, otherwise, the boys would've had a wonderful time bathing in their own pool of blood.'_ , Kid scrunched up his face in disgust. And with that, she gathered up her things and putting them away in her small backpack.

.''.''.''.''. In the courtyard of the Academy .''.''.''.''.

The students gathered around the professor nervously as they waited for him to choose the first individuals, "Now then, let's begin with our first round.", he adjusted his glasses as he looked across the crowd of his students, "Maka Albarn and Oxford, please step forward.", the two students now stood in front of Stein, "Let the lesson begin.", he grinned as he rolled out of the way along with the other students as they now watched the battle from a safe distance.

The first round ended in a few minutes, Maka was the winner. She thrust her fists into the air as she happily made her way where Alice and the rest of her friends were. Round two began, Black Star was facing Harvar. He didn't stand a chance with the wild boy, beating him in a matter of a minute or so.

Alice was called out by the professor as she made her way out onto the courtyard where her opponent stood. It was an intimidating looking boy; his messy hair was sticking out in various places. His posture was slightly slouched forward but he remained in his fighting stance. Alice reached down into her pocket pulling out a hair band, as she then tied up her hair tightly.

"You're kidding right?" her gaze landed on to the boy who had an unsettling smirk on his features, "She can't fight! You don't belong here girly."

Alice had clenched her fists as she stared at the boy, who didn't seem like he would be stopping his dumb little rant. The boy turned around as his back was now turned; what a dumb mistake. She took this opportunity as she now made her way behind him waiting for the right moment to strike.

"This lesson is nothing but a waste of my time." he turned around only to be introduced by a pair of fists hitting his abdomen. She finished him off with an uppercut, causing him to spit out blood from his mouth before he fell down.

She walked away from the fallen boy as she now stood next to Kid and the others, "Dude, you really nailed him back there!", Soul exclaimed with a grin on his face, "That was incredible!", Maka cheered excitingly. Alice blushed at her friend's compliments, rubbing her hands together. Kid placed his hand on her shoulder; she looked over to her friend, "I'm glad you taught that guy a lesson. He was getting on my nerves. ", a soft giggle escaped her lips as the lesson continued.

Only three people remained from the match. Black Star, Kid, and Alice were left. Now, Black Star and Kid were going to face each other. Alice clasped her hands together in front of her chest, wishing kid a good luck. When the fight began, Kid was actually winning that is until Black Star decided to rip off his sleeves. His asymmetrical outfit had caused him to spill blood from his mouth and fall unconscious on the floor. Alice ran down the courtyard where Kids unconscious body was. She kneeled down to the floor as she picked up his head and gently laid it down on her knees, _'Oh kid...'_

Liz and Patty helped Alice carry him away from the field, placing him down under a shade from the academy building. Alice took out a white cloth, wiping away the blood from his lips. Professor Stein rolled over next to Alice, staring down at the grim reapers son, "Don't worry. He'll be fine." he reassured her as he patted her head. Her strand of curly hair twitched, her cheeks turned slightly pink before she nodded.

Alice stood up and made her way down the courtyard where Black Star waited for her. He seemed awfully quiet, it was odd seeing him not talk or even yells loudly about how much of a God he is. He stood there with his arms crossed glaring at her; she wasn't going to let him beat him. Black Star began to chuckle to himself, a large grin appeared on his face, "I'm going to win this you know. I will beat you." he said as he was now in his fighting stance. Her face remained neutral, though, her eyes showed seriousness and determination.

Black Star was the first one to make a move as he charged towards her, "No one can beat the mighty Black Star!", he cried out, swinging his fist at her but to his disappointment, she moved out of the way with ease. His eyes widen as she grabbed a hold of his neck, lifting him up in the air. With full force, she slammed her right hand onto his chest throwing him on the ground in the process. The battle was over.

Alice stood up and took a few steps away from Black Star, who was completely out of breath. Tsubaki ran over to her meister and began to panic before dragging him back to where Kid was, thankfully he finally awoke and his tux was removed before he would flip out. She was glad that he was alright. Sighing in relief, she placed her hand on her chest with a smile on her lips.

"Congratulations Alice. You have successfully completed the lesson." Professor Stein rolled over in his stitched pattern chair, standing in front of her. The glare from his glasses had disappeared revealing his left eye, "Impressive, but, you still have one task to complete." Alice tilted her head to the side, bewildered at his remark.

His sadistic smile spread across his lips, this reaction made her hair to stand on end. Stein stood up from his chair, pushing it away with his leg, "Your final task- "

He adjusted his glasses as his words came out bluntly, although, the way he said it clearly meant he was excited to finally test her, "- Is to battle me."


	6. Chapter 6

_**The lesson, the battle, and an opportunity**_

The students were in complete shock, Alice was going to battle Stein and everyone had been dead silent when their professor announced he would be the final task for this lesson. Her friends couldn't believe what they just heard, their mouths were gaping open. Alice stood there staring at her professor who stood in front of her.

 _'He isn't bluffing. I'm really going to fight him aren't I?'_ , a tiny drop of sweat trailed down her cheek, _'This should be fun, right?'_ , a smile formed on her lips before gazing at her professor. Stein smirked, "I see that you're ready. Well then, let the experiment... begin."

Stein sprinted forward; his hand began to produce electricity as it sparked widely aiming it towards her. She evaded his attack with ease, although, he quickly spun around grabbing her arm, roughly. His plan on throwing her to ground backfired when she regained her footing and had successfully flipped him over. A loud and painful thud was heard after Alice had thrown him onto the floor. Something he clearly did not expect from her, _'I'm impressed. She was able to throw me down after my failed attempt to throw her off.'_

He chuckled, hoisting himself back up from the now dented floor, "Fascinating.", he said dusting off the dirt from his lab coat. Alice stood a few feet away from waiting for him patiently, "This should be fun!" he mumbled to himself before sprinting once again towards her.

Alice positioned herself ready to strike back, when he was close enough she swung her left leg at him only to be blocked by his arm. Each passing moment got intense and the students just watched in amazement. Her friends were cheering her on, shouting her name while they told her to give it her all. Both she and Stein had kept blocking and striking each other, though, none of them had shown signs of fatigue. It was quite remarkable they still went on.

 _'He's fast, but not fast enough!'_ avoiding his soul force, she bent down and quickly punched him in his abdomen area causing him to grunt from the pain. Now it was her turn to use soul force, gathering up enough energy, thrusting her free hand onto his stomach as he flew across the field. Alice began to pant heavily from the amount of energy that drained her from using that attack, _'I may have overdone it a little. '_

Alice began to feel lightheaded and her eyesight slowly started to grow cloudy. She stumbled forward trying to regain her focus on the lesson, but with no success. Her eyes were droopy and her movement had slowed down until finally, her body gave in. She collapsed to the ground. As she slowly lost consciousness, the last thing she heard was Kids cries echoing through her eardrums, muffled voices were all that she could make out before she finally the world around her became dark. 

...

 _ **"You're no daughter of mine."**_

...

 _ **Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!**_ _ **Die!**_

...

The yelling and screaming soon became inaudible, along with those horrifying memories that plagued her mind. She wanted to forget but it was impossible. The past haunted her, though; she always looked forward towards her future. Soft whispers filled the atmosphere around her. She felt disoriented, the darkness that welcomed her had her feeling cold, and it was sad and lonely. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious. It scared her. A familiar voice had caught her attention as she listened intently.

"Will she be alright?" it sounded like Kid.

"She will be fine, Kid. Rest assured she is in good hands."

Stein heard a soft groan coming from behind the curtains; he wasn't the only one who heard it. Kid rushed on over through the curtains as the boy stood next to his friend, who began to open her eyes.

The bright lights invaded her eyes and she closed them shut, but soon her vision began to adjust to the lighting. Her eyes landed on Stein, he stood in front of the bed, and the glare from the light didn't allow her to see his dull looking eyes. She blinked a few times before she felt a familiar hand grab onto her left one, her gaze landed on a familiar figure, it was Kid.

The concerned look on his face made her heartbreak, "Do you even have the slightest idea of how worried sick I was!?" Kid exclaimed.

She furrowed her brows as she sat up on the bed. Alice tilted her head slightly before pointing at his clothing. Kid glanced down at his missing tux as he rubbed his head, "Well, um... I know. I'm not symmetrical now. I look disgusting without it.", tears ran down his cheeks as he felt utterly displeased by his missing attire.

Alice squeezed his hand catching his attention, smiling at him. He relaxed a bit before removing his hand from hers, smiling back at her, "I'm glad that you're alright Alice. I'd better get going; I have a kishin soul to collect. Please, contact me whenever." she nodded before Kid walked out of the room leaving her with Stein.

"Kid really cares about you doesn't he?" he asked, looking over at Alice as she nodded in response. Stein grabbed his stitched patterned chair, rolling it next to her bed as he sat down. His eyes pierced through her soul like a knife cutting through a piece of paper. Alice felt his gaze but decided not to meet them, fiddling with her fingers while her eyes stared off to the window on her left. Stein tilted his head as he spoke with a grin on his lips, "Today's lesson was quite intriguing don't you think?"

Her eyes now landed into his dull ones, seeing his grin made her feel a bit uneasy. Luckily, her neutral expression was hard to read at the moment, though, his eerie grin made her stomach tickle at the sight. She refrained herself from blushing as her professor began to crank his screw, "It's not every day you see a student throwing their teacher to the floor like that. You clearly are something special."

His final words made her blush. Stein noticed this as he then began to chuckle, "My, you clearly are adorable." he blurted out; a giant sweatdrop appeared on their heads. The silence between them was extremely awkward, _'Oh my god! I hope no one heard that!'_ Alice thought to herself hoping that no other staff members were ease dropping them. Glancing over at Stein, she could tell he was having an argument in his mind, _'Professor...'_

 _'Damn. I shouldn't have said that aloud.'_ Stein cursed to himself mentally. He could sense the atmosphere around them was beginning to feel awkward with each passing second. He stood up from his chair and walked away before standing in front of the door, "While you were unconscious, Lord Death has requested your presence in the death room."

Alice perked up as she quickly jumped out of the bed. She stood behind Stein with a cheerful smile on her face, he couldn't help but smile back, "Let's get going. Wouldn't want to keep him waiting now, hm? ~"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Warm Hospitality**_

Lord death had summoned Alice; he had given her a special task of searching for a dangerous serial killer who was only a few steps away to becoming a kishin. She told Lord Death, by using her flashcards of course, that she did not have a weapon partner. Death happily decided that Soul Evans would be a suitable partner for her. She was at a loss for words but agreed to his decision; he also apologized for not being present the last time she went to seek for him. He truly was sorry, but, Alice shook her head and smiled at the grim reaper.

After Alice, had left the death room along with Stein following behind, she skidded across the hallway in pure joy and determination had sparkled in her eyes. Her first mission with a weapon partner! She was overjoyed and was prepared for anything that comes in her way. The mission will start next week, probably on a Monday. Though, she is aware of the possible dangers that may occur on her mission.

While many thoughts danced through her mind, her thoughts were interrupted by Stein patting her head. Her cheeks heated up as her gaze landed on the professor who looked down at her. She could have sworn she saw a concerned look in his eyes, though, she couldn't tell due to the glare of the light as it blocked his eyes.

"Good luck, Alice. A talented meister like you can easily handle a mission like this one," he said with a grin. She smiled before nodding her head, _'I will do my best!'_ she happily exclaimed in her mind, her eyes sparkled in response. Stein chuckled, removing his hand from her head and shoving them in his pockets.

Both the professor and his student walked around the city, Stein making his usual jokes while Alice giggled under her breath. It was fun spending time with Stein; she always enjoyed his company even if she was shy around him. The first time she met Stein was normal, that is, he kept staring at her during his class. She didn't notice until her gaze landed on him, he had been staring for quite some time. Her cheeks heated up before breaking eye contact.

She smiled remembering a certain memory that made her grow closer to him. She had been walking across the hallway during lunch break, quietly looking around. Alice stopped to look up the board that contained many raven colored wooden plaques, carved on them was the location of the mission, along with the ranking. Reading it silently, she was unaware of a certain silver-haired professor who came up to her and spoke, making her jump. This made him chuckle as she blushed heavily.

Stein offered her to walk with him on the balcony, she accepted with a nod before walking alongside him. The air surrounding them wasn't all that welcoming, holding her hands together and her head was slightly lowered. Stein had been observing the petite girl next to him. His cigarette was lit up; the smoke that he blew out had been floating above his head, which formed into a Lord Death skull.

''You don't talk much, do you?" he asked bluntly, unaware that the question had made her uneasy as she frowned. Though, Alice quickly discarded her frown, lifting her gaze towards the professor with a smile.

A hand waved across her face snapping her out from her flashback, "Earth to Alice. You in there?" she blinked a couple of times before her eyes landed on Steins, "For a second there I thought I lost you." he laughed patting her head in the process.

Her cheeks turned into a shade of pink before smiling nervously. Alice looked around at her surroundings and knew where they were. They stood next to the five-story apartment complex, where Alice currently lives in. She thought to herself and wondered how they even managed to arrive here after she had dozed off. Tilting her head to the side, an idea suddenly popped into her head. A wide smile had formed on her lips.

She suddenly grabbed Stein's arm pulling him forward inside the building. This sudden action came out of nowhere and Stein was caught off guard while he stumbled his way inside, as his student dragged him up the stairs reaching up to the fifth floor. The girl finally released her grasp from his arm as she pulled out the keys from her backpack. Unlocking her apartment door as she stepped inside, removing her shoes in the process.

Alice looked over her shoulder to a confused looking Stein in her doorway. She pulled out a flashcard and showed it to him, _'welcome to my home!'_ Stein gazed down at the card before looking up at her, "Oh..." he mumbled quietly. He entered inside, closing the door behind him as he removed his shoes and placing them next to hers'.

The professor raised his head staring at a different written card, _'Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back in a moment.'_ , then the girl took off down the small yet long hallway and entered her room.

Stein reached towards his screw, cranking it slowly. He made his way onto the large couch as he sat down, still cranking his screw; his eyes studied the room around him. A loud 'click' was heard as he slumped onto the couch comfortably, his eyes stared off at the ceiling above him. The smell of vanilla invaded his nose; yet, his cigarette was still producing smoke, blocking most of the sweet aroma. He removed the stick from his lips, flattening it on the table in front of him before relaxing back on the couch.

 _'I don't understand.'_ he clenched his fists' tightly, _'Why... why are you keeping secrets from me.'_ , he furrowed his brows, a sad expression was shown across his features, _'Alice...'_

Soft footsteps echoed throughout the room, Steins features began to relax, as his student came to his view. Alice now wore a large comfy looking sweater with soft colored stripes which consisted of; brown, white, gray, baby pink and the last stripe was brown again. She still wore the same shorts from today, along with her black high knee socks. She still had her DWMA choker, and her long wavy hair was still in a ponytail. The girl held two glasses of water on a tray, while on her left she held a tiny gray bag.

Alice made her way next to him, setting down the tray on the table before sitting down next to him, "You sure know how to keep things organized." he complimented, Alice responded with a smile. She reached out for the glass of water and handed it to him. He gladly accepted the glass, drinking it halfway.

She grabbed her own glass and drank it silently. Stein let out a sigh, staring at the glass of water in his hands, "Alice.", a soft, yet, subtle hum had emanated from her in response.

"Inviting me into your home was quite humble of you, although, aren't you afraid that I might dissect you?", he smirked glancing over at her. She shook her head confidently, a warm smile formed on her lips.

Stein chuckled, "You fascinate me with your kindness towards me, Alice. No one shows me these kinds of courtesy gestures; I only frighten them away. Heh, it doesn't bother me at the very least. ", he felt a soothing hand grace against his hand, as he stared down at her hand before his gaze landed on her eyes.

His eyes widen as they were greeted by the girls' pained expression. His chest began to ache uncontrollably, this emotion he currently felt was something he had never experienced before. It twisted his insides into a knot. It felt, as if, someone had stabbed him multiple times and left it that way. He turned his head away from her, the aching feeling in his chest increased making him irritated in confusion. Alice looked away; her eyes stared down at her glass of water. Placing it on the table, she held the tiny bag on her palm. Tapping his hand gently, gaining his attention, as he stared at her, noticing the small gray colored bag, he raised his brow.

She took his hand that lay on top of his leg, as he watched her place the bag on his palm. Stein gawked at the bag, curious to know what was contained inside. He untied the string around the bag before reaching down inside, pulling out a chained necklace with a metal crescent moon. His eyes enlarged, almost bigger than his circular glasses, _'A necklace?'_

"Um... Why did you give me this?" Stein asked, still staring at the necklace in his hand. Alice grabbed a notebook under the table and began to write with a pen. When she was done, tapping Steins' shoulder while holding the notebook in front of her;

 _'Well, since you gave me the shoes. I went ahead and crafted the necklace for you in return. ~ '_

Stein blinked, not realizing that his cheeks had turned into a light shade of pink. He chuckled, a smile formed on his lips as he placed his other free hand on her head. Alice blushed lightly, her eyes fluttered widely. He enjoyed seeing her react shyly towards him; there were times where his thoughts would be about her. Not in a wrong way, of course, he would admire her appearance; her skills and the list go on. Stein is somewhat fond of Alice, he rarely shows off his soft side, if he has any, towards the people around him. His thoughts about it were deemed unnecessary. But when he is around her, he experiences this strange sensation in his chest. Confusion was the first thing that popped into mind, and now he isn't afraid to express his affection towards her.

"You handcrafted this?" Steins eyes landed on the necklace before glancing up at Alice. Clasping her hands together and placing them on her chest while nodding. His eyes soften as he chuckled, "Thank you. It truly is a one of a kind piece, I will cherish It.", Alice's expression lit up, grinning happily.

As the sun, had finally set, the grinning moon appeared brightly in the sky, cackling at the buildings below. Stein had bid his farewells to Alice making his way out of the building. She closed the door, as she now walked down the halls entering her bedroom. Flopping onto the comfy bed while staring at the ceiling, _'The mission will be in a week from now. I guess I have to train with my partner... my partner.'_ she smiled at the thought, _'My very first weapon partner.'_

Suddenly, her eyes were introduced to the ceiling, splattered with blood. Her eyes widen in fear, jumping out of her bed at a quickening pace whilst gazing at the ceiling. The blood she had seen was no longer there, it's as if, the fresh blood stains were never there. Trembling, she held her head with both hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. Sobbing silently, she fell down to her knees, _'No... I suffered enough haven't I!?_ ' screaming violently in her mind. Her eyes were wide open, tears falling down her slim features, her lilac pupils had shrunken, leaving her in a state of shock.

 _'Am I losing myself to the madness?'_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A Meisters' First Mission & Souls'... Nosebleed?**_

.".".".". A week later .".".".".

Soul and Alice had been training under Professor Steins' supervision, making sure they were both well prepared. Alice had successfully mastered her soul wavelength with her partner and on the first try too. Stein was impressed, not many meisters' can match their wavelength with other demon weapons, at the time, and only he could wield any weapon with ease. Now Alice is fully prepared for her mission with Soul Evans.

Alice made sure to gather up her belongings for the trip with Soul. She scuffles around the bedroom placing her items that were necessary for her backpack. Making her way to the closet, picking out the clothing she will be wearing for her mission. As she got dressed, Alice walked over to her mirror staring at herself; she wore a red, black, cream striped sweater that covered her black colored shorts. Along with her suede over the knee boots, which were in a dark ebony color and had laces located in the back, it dangled neatly in a bow like a manner; which was located next to her backpack.

A soft hum vibrated from her vocal cords, _'My hair would get in the way of our mission. I better comb it up just to avoid any unwanted distractions.'_ , grabbing a large hairbrush, as she began to gently comb her long wavy hair. Soon she began to braid her hair, a slow and steady process until she finally finished, wrapping a thick rubber band to keep her braid in place.

Making her way back to the mirror, her eyes fixed onto her reflection. A smile made its way to her lips; she caressed her braided hair as her hand made its way down to her neck. Her delicate fingers were tracing an old scar, the jagged skin had a faint flesh-colored, and the puffy pink skin was held in place by stitches around her neck. Alice's' pupils dilated staring at the unsettling mark, a soft sigh escaped her lips before placing her choker; the one with the Lord Death pendant.

A faint knock was heard as the girl swiftly grabbed her backpack, along with her boots, as she ran out of the bedroom and stopped in front of the door. Putting on her boots, she opened the door revealing a droopy looking Soul, his hands shoved inside his black leather jacket; his headband was holding most of his bangs back, he wore a pair of light brown pants, and an orange shirt which had the logo of his sweatband emblazoned that was located on his left breast.

She smiled, waving her hand at him, "We'll be leaving on my motorcycle." he said as he tried to sound cool. Nodding in response, she closed the door to her apartment locking it behind her.

Alice followed Soul down the stairs, making their way out of the building where his motorbike stood a few inches away from the entrance. Soul got on his bike, as the engine roared to life, Alice sat behind him unsure if she should hold onto him or the metal like chair behind her, "Hang on tight!"

Her eyes widen as the bike began to gain speed, suddenly she threw her arms around the boys' torso. Soul was taken by surprise by her actions; he blushed feeling her grip tighten, _'Guessing she's not used to being on a motorcycle.'_ a wide grin spread across his face revealing his sharp teeth.

Soul glanced to one of his rearview mirrors; the buildings of Death City were no longer in his sight. He kept his eyes on the sandy road in front of him. Shining high above the sky was the sun, a huge grin on its lips, laughing loudly. Hours had gone by, traveling from city to city had drained Souls' energy, and he could barely keep his eyes open. Alice made Soul stop by a motel where both would be staying there for the night. Luckily, she brought extra clothing in her tiny backpack, she couldn't explain how her backpack works and she is lucky it could fit some clothing. You could say the bag is magical, but Alice thinks that its tiny appearance is what fools people, thinking its small.

Alice plopped herself on the twin sized bed; her tiny backpack was on top on the pillow above her head. The room was quite roomy, and there were two twin sized beds next to each other; while a tall lamp in between the beds was, what separated them. Soul sat on his bed with his cheeks heated up, his new partner was causing him to be all flustered when he looks at her. Even if he kept his composure around her, he still managed to blush just by the slightest actions she would be doing.

 _'Keep it together Soul, she's just like being with Maka.'_ he thought to himself, his eyes remained closed. Alice had made herself comfortable on the bed; her hands were next to her head as she closed her eyes. Soul glanced at the girl, his face becoming redder than his eye color. He could feel his nose bleeding; Soul quickly entered the bathroom across the room, closing the door behind him. Grabbing a piece of paper and shoving it in his nostrils.

"Damn, this is not cool." Soul murmured to himself, whilst cleaning his nostrils. A sigh escaped from his lips, staring at his reflection in front of him, "Keep it together Soul. I can handle a girl like her.", he said with confidence, exiting the bathroom.

Soul stood there, eyes wide, and his mouth gaping wide that touched the floor. Alice had changed into her purple nightgown; its silky fabric hugged her figure perfectly, and it was slightly transparent, the nightgown had a V-neck line as it showed off her delicate looking skin around her chest area. The gown was designed to have thin looking straps, as it showed off her perfect complexion of her arms. Alice raised her head, gazing at the boys' utter shock written across his face. Her cheeks began to heat up uncontrollably; she grabbed a nearby remote and threw it at him, hitting him in the face with such force. He cried out in pain falling onto the floor, as he bleeds through his nose.

She gasped, running over to the now-injured Soul. Alice crouched down next to him, worriedly shaking his shoulders lightly. Soul moaned out in pain, "Nah, it's alright. I-I'm fine." she sighed in relief, placing both hands on her chest. As Soul lifted his head up, his eyes landed on her chest taking notice of how slightly large they looked. What's worse? She was still crouched down and her chest was in his line of sight. Blood trickled down his nose, as his head fell back to the floor with a loud thump.

 _'Soul!?_ '

There was more blood coming out of his nose. Alice scurried around the room searching for something to clean the blood, finally, opening one of the drawers there was a white hand towel neatly folded. She grabbed it, walking over to her friend, kneeling beside him as she gently wiped off the blood from his nose.

Soul was taken aback by her wiping away the blood; he could only stare at her in shock whilst she cleaned his bloody nose. A light blush appeared on his cheeks, as he avoided her gaze. She too couldn't contain a blush forming on her cheeks, but she ignored the warmth of her cheeks and continued to clean his blood.

Once she was done, Soul sat up on the floor rubbing his head while his eyes stared off elsewhere. A smile formed on her lips as she held the towel to his nose, catching his attention. The silence they shared was a little uncomfortable, but she never minds it. She was used to it. Soul stared at her lilac eyes, and he could have sworn her pupils were a crescent-shaped. Though he was too mesmerized by her gorgeous eyes, he unknowingly leaned forward. Alice blinked in confusion, before covering his face with the stained towel.

Soul muffled against the towel, a giant sweatdrop appeared on his head. Alice giggled softly, watching Soul struggle with the towel against his face as he grabbed her wrist, pulling it off his face, "Hey, what's the big idea? I could have suffocated you know!" he exclaimed a hint of irritation hinted in his voice. Alice could only smile, throwing the stained towel at his face making him more annoyed as he is.

Alice stood up walking over to her bed, plopping herself on the soft mattress as she threw the covers onto herself. He sighed, cleaning the left-over blood from his nose, as he then lay down on his bed staring at the ceiling. Souls' eyes landed on Alice, who was fast asleep. Staring at her sleeping face made his cheeks burn, he cursed at himself mentally as he looked away from the sleeping meister.

 _'I'm starting to Miss Maka.'_ , he rolled onto his side, his back facing the girl. Slowly his eyes began to give in as he fell into a deep slumber.

.".".".".". Meanwhile at the DWMA .".".".".".

Lord Death stood in the middle of the death room, staring at the mirror in front of him. Behind him was an anxious and impatient looking Stein? His gaze piercing at the Shinigami whose back was turned, yet, he still felt the professor's gaze piercing through his back. Stein was irritated. Ever since his student had left the city, he had become rather worrisome. He could feel his stomach twist into a painful knot, leaving him to feel uneasy. Something terrible was going to happen, and he couldn't just stand there to do nothing.

The professor turned around, walking away before suddenly the grim reaper spoke, "And where are you going, Stein?" his goofy voice echoed throughout the room. Stein didn't bother to turn his gaze at the grim reaper, "I'm going after my student."

"You cannot interfere with her mission. This is something she must handle for herself; surely you must know that by now." Death gazed at the professor, who stood in silence as he continued, "Then why go after her?" Death asked with curiosity, "Tell me, Stein, why is this girl so important to you?"

"She is…" Stein lowered his head slightly. He took out one of his hands from his lab coat, placing his hand on his sternum where he wore a peculiar crescent-shaped necklace that hung neatly around his neck, "A captivating test subject."

Lord Death hummed with delight, staring at the professor fiddling with something around his chest area. Death suddenly jerked forward, his head tilted to the side, "Don't tell that you've come to care for the girl?" his words rung in the air around them; Death was stunned. Stein was feeling towards this girl, and yet, she can't even muster a single word other than write on a piece of paper.

He was flabbergasted, Stein being attracted by Alice? It simply didn't make sense, this is Stein! He is incapable of feeling love, not to mention he cannot grasp its true meaning. But, Death believes that everyone can change their life around, by changing they gain something far greater than what it could have expected it to be. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Steins' footsteps as he walked away, leaving the Death room without a single word.

"Oh my..." he chimed worriedly, swiftly turning around and staring at the mirror, as it began to shine before him. Death stared intently at the screen, observing the sleeping figure of a young girl; Alice. The grim reaper pondered for awhile until finally, he had pieced things together.

"Ah… Stein is in love with her.", if he had a mouth upon his white cartoony mask he would've had the biggest smile. Death sang happily to himself whilst observing the girl, who slept peacefully.

Alice snuggled into her pillow; a soft sigh escaped her lips as she slept. Her braided hair had untied itself, as it hung freely across the mattress. She slept comfortably on her left side. The girls' bangs hid some of her slim features; her mouth was partially opened breathing in the air through her nose, and exhaling from her soft pink lips.

The night was peaceful, both her and Soul slept with no trouble. Though, Alice had been shivering, not out the air-conditioned room, but from fear. She broke out a cold sweat, her lips quivered and her breathing had become shallow. Her fingers curled up, holding the sheets tightly.

Lord Death watched in silence, his mask formed into a concerned look, "Oh, dear.", his right giant foamed gloved hand appeared, placing it onto the large mirror as he watched helplessly at the trembling meister before him.


	9. Chapter 9

_**~He Never Left~**_

Soul had been driving for what seemed like forever. The landscape had changed from a desert to many buildings in every direction, as he rode down a busy highway. Not long they were stuck in traffic, the sun hadn't been much of a problem throughout the day, and it was the gray sky that made them worry. They were grateful that no rainstorm had occurred. Although, the heat that emitted from the cars that surrounded them had made the air around the two warmer; at least the wind was present to keep them cool from the heat.

Alice quietly stared off into the buildings around her, admiring their structure and magnificent color schemes. She got this trait from Kid; it didn't bother her, though. Whilst staring off at the buildings around her someone whistled next to them rather loudly, which caught her attention as she looked over to her right.

Silver colored Lamborghini had driven next to them, the rooftop exposed and a fancy looking boy staring right at her. His glossy maroon hair was combed back; a pair of sunglasses was on top of his head, as his left arm hung freely from the window. Alice inspected his clothing; it appeared to be an expensive brand. His sleeves were rolled up and he wore a red t-shirt underneath his button-up shirt.

"Hey there sweetheart." he greeted in a playful tone, a grin spread across his lips, "The names Nathan." Alice tilted her head to the side; she greeted the boy with a smile while waving her hand shyly. Soul on the other sent threatening looks at the guy next to him, Nathan simply ignored him.

"Why such a pretty girl like you hanging out with a guy like him?", he motioned his left hand at Soul, a questioning look on his face, "You're better off with me, what do you say?", before Alice could make a gesture Soul interrupted them, "She doesn't have to answer, you nosy little brat.", Soul spat at him, both of them glaring at each other.

A sweatdrop appeared on her head as she smiled nervously, _'Oh boy…'_ , she placed her hand on Souls' shoulder, his tensed muscles began to relax as he looked over at her with a soft expression in his eyes, "My, what a charming way to defend your girl.", Nathan commented almost mumbling the last part. Alice blushed profusely, her face turning a deep crimson. She covered her face with both hands, blushing uncontrollably.

"He's really getting on my nerves," Soul mumbled under his breath, gritting his teeth in the process. The guy wriggled his eyebrow mockingly at him, Souls eye twitched as he gripped the handle of his bike tightly.

Minutes felt like hours, Soul wasn't able to escape the annoying 'mister know it all's' bickering. Alice had been kindly listening to him, she didn't want to be rude and ignore him like Soul was doing. Only nodding in response and making certain gestures towards Nathan. Soul rolled his eyes, a look of disgust written across his face.

"You know, I know a perfect place to just get to know each other." Alice raised her brow, a questionable look on her face, "We should meet at the American River Parkway. There's a boat launching spot that I'm sure you'll love It.", he whispered only for her to hear, then again, it was loud enough for Soul to hear what he said, "Will you come with me?"

Before Alice had the chance to reject his offer Soul suddenly had responded to the boys offer quickly, his voice filled with anger, "You annoying little twat. She won't be hanging around with a disrespectful jerk like you!", and with that, Souls bike roared violently, as he drove away in an opening away from the Lamborghini. Alice wrapped her arms around Soul's abdomen tightly, as he drove off leaving a trail of smoke behind him.

They finally arrived at Sacramento; the capital of California. Lord Death was kind enough to book them a hotel room. Soul arrived at a fancy looking hotel, it was twenty stories high, and its structure was breathtaking; its color scheme was gold and a subtle cream color along with a warm pink. One of the employees happily greeted them at the entrance, kindly securing Souls bike. They soon escorted Soul and Alice inside; it had many luxurious vases, high-quality furniture, and high priced paintings that hung neatly upon the walls.

As they now walked up to the front desk, Alice's' gaze wandered curiously of her surroundings while Soul spoke to the manager who was behind the desk. While she observed silently amongst the crowded halls, her eyes caught a glimpse of a certain stitched-up lab coat. She immediately began to walk towards the person who owned it, but, as she tried to make her way towards them people were blocking her way. Alice grew anxious, slipping through narrow gaps through the people that surrounded her.

Suddenly, she tripped over her feet as she began to fall. Luckily, someone had caught her before gravity could pull her all the way down. She let out a silent sigh, relieved she hadn't fallen, "Long time no see babe." a familiar voice rang in her ears. She shyly raised her head, a grin appeared on the boy's face, "What a pleasant surprise to see you again." it was Nathan.

She smiled nervously; a tiny blush appeared on her cheeks, "What brings you here? Couldn't get enough of me huh?" Nathan smirked as he motioned his hands to himself. A small drop of sweat trailed down her cheek, _'I have to find Soul before I get dragged into another unwanted situation.'_

While Nathan creepily began to invade her personal space, Alice couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. As if, someone was throwing daggers at Nathan, not at her. But no matter how many times she would sneak a quick glance around the main hall, she didn't see anyone staring at them. Then Nathan tried to pull her into a hug, but, she quickly dodged his slender arms and swiftly escaped from the boy's sight.

Alice made her way towards the elevator where Soul stood inside as the doors began to close. Running fast as she could, she entered the elevator in the nick of time, the doors finally closing behind her. Exhaling in relief, her eyes landed on Soul, who was staring at her with wide eyes. She smiled cheerfully as she stood next to him, clasping her hands together in front of her stomach.

"Where were you?" Soul asked his hands inside his leather jacket. Alice only shrugged in response. Soul narrowed his eyes before staring at the door. The elevator stopped on the twelve floors, both following the employee into their room.

Upon entering the room, they were introduced by a pleasant aroma. Alice quickly removed her shoes and rushed towards her room, sliding the door open revealing a king-sized bed. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she happily jumped onto the bed. Soul stood in the middle of her doorway watching her snuggle against a fluffy pillow in her grasp. A smile spread across his lips, quietly observing her. Alice glanced where Soul stood, her face heated up as she covered the fluffy pillow onto her face, while her curly strand of hair twitched wildly.

Soul's nose slowly began to leak blood while his eyes never left the flustered meister, _'Damn it! How can she be so cute?!'_ he mentally screamed at himself, until his thoughts were interrupted by a pillow hitting him straight in the face.

 _'Waaaa, why does he keep staring at me like that?!'_ her face had become redder than a tomato. Soul eventually stuttered with his words before closing the door behind him. Alice fell onto the bed as she stared at the ceiling, _'I wonder how Kid and the others are doing.'_ a soft hum had vibrated that emanated from her bag causing her to sit up on the bed, removing her backpack. She opened the zipper searching for her phone. Alice took out her Death phone touch, sliding the screen to the right then opening her message.

 ***Evening Alice, how's your mission coming along? -Kid***

 ***we just arrived in Sacramento. I'm in a fancy looking hotel suite. -Alice*** ****

 ***(** **_** **)! Does it look perfect? -Kid***

 ***It looks quite beautiful. And the way it's built is symmetrical. (** **‿⌒** **) -Alice***

 ***Ahh, that's wonderful! I'm so glad that father could get you a suite there; you must be one lucky girl, Allie. -Kid*** ****

 ***Yes, lucky me. ~ -Alice***

Alice lowered her phone onto knees, staring at the screen blankly. Two drops of water landed on her phone, she furrowed her brows sadly as her lips quivered slightly. Her eyes fluttered as tears trailed down her cheeks. A soft hum emitted from her phone as she received a new message from Kid.

 ***Hey, you alright? Is there something on your mind? -Kid***

 ***I'm alright Kid, just a little nervous. After all, it is my first mission. × -Alice*** ****

 ***you will do great! (** **ヮ** **)** **ง** **-Kid***

She giggled softly, a smile spread across her lips. Wiping away her tears, she jumped out of bed and exited her room. Making her way into the kitchen, she saw Soul sitting on the dining table with a chicken breast in hand, eating way his meal. She made her way to the other side, sitting in front of him. Her side of the table was filled with vegetables, as well as some veggie sushi rolls. Alice clasped her hands together before eating away.

Once they were finished with their meal, Alice took the empty plates to the sink and washed them clean. The sun had disappeared from the sky as the moon shone brightly in the starry sky. Alice had taken a nice warm shower as she walked around her room with her nightgown on. Alice stood in front of the large bay window while staring at the colorful city lights. A soft sigh escaped from her lips, both her hands rested on her chest.

 _'The city looks wonderful tonight.'_ her eyes wandered around the buildings near her.

Alice closed her eyes and felt herself drifting away in her thoughts. The calmness within her mind was short lived and was replaced with gruesome flashbacks. The images were too much, it was overwhelming. Her eyes snapped opened while staggering a few steps back before steadying herself.

' _Not this again. L-Leave me alone!'_ Alice pleaded, but sadly this wouldn't help make the suffering to just simply disappear.

Her eyes landed on a building below and saw a pair of crimson eyes staring back at her. It was a black silhouette standing on a rooftop of the building she was currently staring at. The figure was well hidden underneath its billowing black cloak, its eyes held a look of hostility in them. Whatever it was doing, it sure was doing a great job in scaring her. Alice felt herself trembling in fear, eyes wide and her pupils had shrunken. The longer she stared the more fear was slowly sneaking its way into her to the point where it made her feel nauseous. She swallowed her saliva, hard. Alice grabbed the dark curtains from either side, pulling them together in one swift motion, closing the window.

She stumbled her way across the room and on to her bed. Her breathing was labored and there were tears falling down her cheeks. No matter how hard she tried to calm herself down it seemed almost impossible. If it kept going she will certainly have a panic attack. Alice could feel her legs turning into jelly and she found it hard to stand. Fresh tears poured down her cheeks, she silently sobbed and was greeted by the gruesome flashbacks once more.

 _'Stop… please…'_

 _S_ uddenly, she was engulfed by someone's arms wrapping them around her trembling form. She was pulled close to them, and her head was now in the crook of the persons' neck. Their hand gently rubbed her back in a circular motion, and soon enough her trembling had subsided while her head was supported by their shoulder. Alice was contemplating on who it was; probably Soul but then again it wasn't. Who could it be?

A yawn escaped her lips and felt her eyes grow heavy. She obliviously nuzzled herself on the person's neck; feeling them shiver at her actions. Their scent was familiar but she couldn't tell because of how exhausted she was. Right before she fell asleep, she caught a glimpse of their white lab coat then she fell asleep.

The person picked her up bridal style and carefully laying her down on the bed. Then he pulled the bed sheets and covered her sleeping form. The silver-haired man adjusted his glasses, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. He looked over his shoulder, staring her tear-stained face, and then he outstretched his hand; wiping away her dried up tears from her cheeks. His fingers brushed against her cheek; gently caressing her delicate skin.

"Sleep well, Alice.


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Battle for the Kishin Soul! A doomed fate and Stein's great suffering?**_

During the afternoon, Soul and Alice had driven around the capital in search for answers of the supposed serial killer on the loose. They were both at Sacramento city hall, speaking with the mayor about the incidents. His reaction seemed rather collected after nearly fifth teen deaths had been taken place around his beloved city. The mayor is utterly devastated about this.

Alice walked over to the mayor, placing her hand on his shoulder. She gave him a comforting gaze and his tensed muscles relaxed, "Thank you, my dear." the mayor held her hand, gripping it gently.

She smiled before stepping back, "I trust that you two can put an end to this chaos." he said firmly, his hands crossed behind his back.

"You can count on us Mister Mayor, we'll make sure the guy is dead." a grin formed on his lips showing off his sharp teeth. Alice nodded in agreement, her curly strand of hair swinging gently from side to side.

"Good. Also, there is one thing I must mention before you two leave."

He walked over to them standing in front of his desk, "The serial killer has been targeting young women, and his victims received various stab wounds to their necks. Only two girls survived these attacks but it left them permanently mute." his voice shook at the last sentence, the mayor had a painful expression on his face, and then looked away from them.

"The hell?!" Soul exclaimed as he clenched his fist tightly.

Alice stood there with a blank stare, her pupils had shrunken and her ivory skin became pale like snow. It's as if, she had seen a ghost. Her blank stare then changed into a serious one, her brows lowering in an angry gaze.

"Those girls never deserved this awful fate." the mayors face frowned deeply.

"Please, don't let them die at the hands of that monster." he turned his back on them holding back his tears.

Alice's expression changed into that of determination, lowering her head slightly and her lips formed a slight frown. She walked over to the mayor, placing a gentle hand on his back making him turn his head to her. His eyes landed on hers', a glint of comfort shown in her determined eyes. He smiled at her and she returned the same gesture.

Soul and Alice made their way out of the building; the strong winds blew their hair wildly. Alice squint her eyes from the rays of the sun, feeling it sting her sensitive skin. Soul called out her name, as she instantly followed behind him making their way towards the bike. The ride was peaceful; the occasional honks of other cars were heard as they drove past them. Driving around never felt more amazing, she enjoyed every moment of it. That is if you remove the howling wind from her eardrums, but it didn't matter. She was content at the moment and nothing could be more welcoming than visiting Raley Field.

The hotel's employees suggested the place and out of pure curiosity, Alice wanted to explore the place. Soul didn't argue and agreed to visit the place. After they arrived and paid their parking space, both meister and weapon walked towards the entrance. Which had a big sign supported my metal bars, the words *Raley Field* in giant capital letters and in crimson.

Upon entering the place, many people crowded the grassy field. The sight was beautiful, and the two large golden structures could be seen from behind the surrounding trees. The uneasy feeling crept back up again, someone was watching her. Though she shrugged the feeling off and strolled her way around the place while Soul followed silently behind. 

…

…

…

…

Meanwhile, in Death City, the crescent moon homeroom was waiting for their professor to arrive. As the minutes went by they all began to wonder where their teacher is. Maka and Tsubaki were talking to each other, enjoying the time while a substitute teacher would arrive. Instead, the one who entered the classroom was Spirit Albarn. The young students were perplexed and whispered amongst each other until Spirit spoke out loud.

"Pipe down! Stein won't be teaching you today. I will be the one teaching until his return." He stated as she grabbed the attendance sheets.

Tsubaki raised her hand shyly. "Mr. Death Scythe?"

Spirits glanced at the girl with a raised brow. "Did something happen to the professor?"

"He's fine, but he has been acting weird lately. Guess he decided to take a day off." He chuckled, but this wasn't the case. Stein simply left the city without any explanation whatsoever. Had his old partner gone mad? "Now then, let's begin calling out attendance, ladies first. ~" He cooed softly.

The atmosphere in the room had gotten quite uncomfortable, especially for the girls'. Maka glared daggers at her father, tightening her book. _He's unbelievable!_ Someone's hand touched her shoulder, and the anger instantly washed away. Looking over to her left Maka stared at Tsubaki who was giving her sympathetic smile. Even if her father can be a complete idiot, but she still loves him, she never says it aloud.

In the Death room, Lord Death was pacing back and forth. The mirror before him had shown him the image of the young meister; Alice accompanied by her partner Soul. After witnessing the girl having a nightmare the previous night he'd been feeling uneasy. It wasn't like him to pace around, yet something was bothering him to the very core. Death had stopped pacing and was now standing in front of the mirror.

The mirror snapped a closer view of the two young individuals; both appeared to be enjoying one another's company. Alice was happily eating a churro under a tree while Soul leaned back onto the bark with his eyes closed. Lord Death began to hum softly, while he continued staring at the screen. 

…

…

…

…

Night had fallen over the city. Alice and Soul stood on top of a building, watching over the people below. The young meister had her eyes closed, silently searching for the killer's soul wavelength. Opening her eyes halfway, the girls' pupils were dilated as she observed the human souls in front of her. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet the air felt awfully eerie, almost as if something terrible was bound to happen at any moment.

"You feel it too huh?" Soul asked. Alice glanced over at him and nodded in response.

The atmosphere was nerve-wracking, and it wasn't a good sign. Alice's eyes drifted away towards the large golden bridge to her left. Soul followed her gaze, raising his brow questionably. The girl pointed over to the bridge. With a nod, both of them began to run on the rooftops until they finally arrive at the scene.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream was heard below and people were in a running frenzy. The crowd of people was slowly disappearing. There it was, a figure dressed in a long black hooded cloak stood before a young brunette haired teen that was sprawled down on the floor, trembling in fear. The ominous figure began to walk closer while the girl was crawling away, mumbling incoherent words to her attacker. Her eyes grew wider as the attacker pulled out a long double-bladed sword seemingly out of nowhere from his back. The girl held up her hand in defense pleading for mercy, but to no luck, the figure was ready to strike.

A loud _'clash'_ echoed through the air. Alice stood in front of the brunette with a staff-like scythe in her hands which blocked the man's attack. He growled angrily, adding force to his blade which was kept in its place, not moving an inch. Alice narrowed her eyes at the man, whose crimson eyes threw daggers at her. The man in the cloak pulled his double-bladed sword back striking her but was forcefully thrown back by the young meister. Alice swiftly turned her head to gaze at the girl, waving her right hand at the brunette for her to leave. Instantly, the girl got up and ran away from the scene.

Alice could hear the man's cries coming closer, hearing the sound of his speeding footsteps. She twirled the scythe in front of her, blocking his attack. He stumbled back; Alice took this opportunity to strike and swung her weapon upwards which slashed his abdomen area. Blood was splattered across the ground and the man wailed in pain, as he hunched forward placing his hand on his wound. Then out of nowhere, he began to cackle and stood upright. The wound was nowhere to be seen, leaving the ripped cloak behind.

"You really got me there, but that won't be enough to kill me." A smirk spread across the man's face. Alice furrowed her brows, gripping the handle of the scythe tightly.

Souls' reflection appeared onto the blade, an annoyed look written on his face. "Keep talking. Soon you will be nothing and your soul will be mine!"

The man simply laughed at his statement. "You eat my soul?" his smirk grew wider. "How hopeless can you get?"

He charged and so did Alice, their weapons clashed with one another. Alice kept blocking his attacks and striking whenever he left an opening, but no matter how many times she would inflict damage to his skin, it will always heal in a matter of minutes. This fight was getting more intense as the minutes passed by. She was getting exhausted and her muscles were screaming for her to stop but she kept on fighting.

"Getting tired so soon? I thought you were better than this." he taunted. Swinging his double-bladed sword at her, and she countered it with a rough kick which hit him square in the face.

He grabbed her leg and forcefully spun her around. Finally releasing his grip on the girls' leg and she was thrown across the ground. It left a few scrapes on her features and down on her thighs. Alice got back onto her feet and positioned herself in a defensive stance. Staring blankly at the man before her, who began to laugh uncontrollably?

"You don't talk much do you?" he asked in between laughs. The only response he received was the howling of the wind. He tilted his head to the side, glaring at her with a huge grin on his face. "How does it feel like to be silenced by **me**?"

Alice stood there, unmoving, her brows furrowed in confusion. His words swirled inside her mind and she unknowingly gripped the handle of the scythe tightly. Soul's reflection appeared once again. "You better keep your mouth shut or else I'll-"

"Silence! I was speaking to her alone and if you interrupt me once more. I won't hesitate to slice your skull in half." The man threatened, snarling angrily at Soul's reflection. His attention was once again back to Alice whose gaze hardened. "Don't you remember?" He lowered his head. His crimson orbs piercing through her own.

His hands reached towards his hood and slowly pulled it back revealing his true identity. Her pupils shrank, and her face was replaced with fear. Alice was frozen in place, while the man had a crazed look on his face. The man's short, messy black hair was sticking out in various places. He had tan looking skin with his red colored, cat-like eyes glaring directly at her.

"My dearest daughter, I missed you."

"He's your father?!" Soul exclaimed. "Alice is this true? Alice?"

She didn't respond. The great amount of fear had paralyzed her body. Soul called out her name numerous times but sadly Alice didn't respond to him. This frustrated him and he wanted to rip the man to shreds. "Alice snap out of it!"

The man appeared in front of them and he made his first blow down on her abdomen. This caused her to fly at a tremendous speed, and she ended up being smacked on top of a building. Alice ended up crawling out from underneath the rubble, wheezing in pain. Soul was practically screaming at her to get up, yet by the time he said that she was forcefully grabbed by the neck and thrown up in the air. She dropped Soul in the process. Alice was once again held up by the throat by her father, who was floating in mid-air. She gripped onto his arm, trying to pry his hand away from her neck, leaving nail marks on his flesh which would eventually heal.

"Now, now sweetheart. You mustn't be so gammy." her father cooed and this made her stomach churn.

Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she desperately tried to escape from his grasp. "My greatest mistake was every allowing you to live, but be assured. I will not intend to make that mistake ever again!"

He pierced his double-bladed sword through her abdomen, twisting the blade slowly into a 180-degree angle. Alice pierced her nails deep into his skin, she screamed silently feeling the pain becoming more and more intense. Her father chuckled, the blood poured out from her wound and onto his blade. His face had her blood stains splattered across his cheeks and on his lips. She whimpered softly, the world becoming hazy in a matter of moments.

"It's a shame I didn't get to hear your screams, though I must say you put on a good show." he complimented, watching her slowly lose consciousness. "But I made a promise to let you live, in a way." he furrowed his brows.

He removed the blade from her abdomen, her blood beginning to drip in large amounts. He pointed his blade down. His blade began to glow in a red and black hue, a great amount of energy was placed upon it before he finally swung it vertically. Cracking open a portal below him. The skies darkened, lightning raged violently across the area and the current of winds roared loudly. Alice's eyes were halfway open, staring at the sky in a daze. She was running out of oxygen and she was losing a lot of blood. Her hands fell down and she simply hung there, barely hanging on.

"You will succumb to your wounds." he paused before continuing. "And you will die in an unknown territory where no one will save you. My child, you will-"

 **"ALICE!"**

Her father turned his head around and glanced down at the bridge where a certain silvered-haired professor stood. He smiled psychotically at the meister below.

"So, you have finally come, Franken Stein. Though I must say, you have raised a fine pupil, but sadly, her life will come to an end."

He released his grip on Alice's neck and was now sucked into the vortex below. Without giving this a second thought, Stein jumped off the railing from the bridge and was now plunging into the vortex with her. Soul watched in horror as the portal began to close. He wanted to follow, but he was too wounded to even move. His head hung down which cast a shadow over his eyes, gritting his teeth tightly. There was one thing he had failed that day. He failed to protect his meister.

…

…

…

…

The world was like an endless abyss. No pathways were seen, nothing. Only the mixture of red and black painted across this forsaken vortex. The endless fall made him feel disordered, and he couldn't distinguish right or left. Down was the only answer. Stein was free falling in the middle of nowhere desperately trying to find Alice but there were no signs of her anywhere.

"Damn it!" he cursed loudly and gritted his teeth. _'Where could she have gone?'_

As if something or someone had answered his question. It only took him to look down and saw Alice's unconscious body falling. He rushed down towards her, outstretching his right arm. Below the girl, there was an incoming object and it had a very sharp edge heading directly towards her. His eyes widen and he began to search for something to launch himself towards her. Luck was in his favor. A flat-surfaced rock flew right in front of him, and he quickly took the opportunity to place both of his feet upon the rock. He bent his knees and with all his might, launched himself towards her, wrapping both of his arms around her. This made them move away and avoided the upcoming object with the pointed edge.

Stein held her petite form close. His left hand was holding onto her head which was cradled in the crook of his neck. The world around them changed, the red and black hues were replaced by pastel colors which consisted of; purple, pink, blue, and green. Suddenly, a bright flash of light engulfed them both, which partially blinded him. They were no longer falling; in fact, Stein was lying on the floor. He opened his eyes, revealing a strange looking atmosphere. This place was riddled with odd-looking plants which surrounded them.

"Isn't this just great," he said flatly.

Stein carefully rose up from the ground where he gently lay Alice down in front of him. His eyes widen, staring down at the size of her wound. It was in a nasty state and he doesn't have any proper tools with him.

"Damn it all!" cursing under his breath, clenching his fists tightly. "I won't let you die. I…I can't lose you."

He took off his lab coat, placing it down to her open wound, pressing it lightly. Surprisingly, her intestines hadn't escaped from the large gash, but this wasn't a good sign to even begin with. If he can't find any resources around this world that can allow him to stitch up the girl's wounds. Alice will expire, and he can't afford to lose his student. Not like this.


	11. Chapter 11

_**~A Different Dimension and What Lies Ahead. ~**_

The sun peeked its way through the leaves above, casting a small ray of light upon a female figure that lay on the ground. Being covered by a stained stitched up lab coat to keep her warm. Stein hadn't returned from his little walk after he successfully managed to stitch her wounds closed. This place was filled with unidentified creatures and Stein simply couldn't hold back his urge to study them. Typical for a mad scientist like him but he controlled his urge to capture and dissect them.

Stein adjusted his glasses whilst he observed a winged pig snout flying across the trees. A sigh escaped his lips. Walking away from the rocky wall he was leaning onto and made his way back. He shoved his hands into his pockets while walking along the grassy trail.

Alice's eyes cracked open before her face scrunched up slightly from the harsh light that was invading her eyes. Her vision soon became clear, staring at the trees above her. Alice's mind was in shambles and couldn't remember what happened. As she tried to sit up, an immense pain welcomed throughout her body. Alice gritted her teeth and she slowly sat up, much to her discomfort. Alice took a deep breath, glancing down at her torn sweater.

She frowned deeply. It was her favorite sweater and now it was torn. Her eyes landed on a stitched-up lab coat which had dried blood stains. This wasn't here before. What happened to her? Almost immediately, memories from Sacramento flooded her mind. The battle with her father was clear now, and she had been paralyzed by fear. She feared him, after what he had done to her, there was only fear, and she almost died because of it.

 _'I'm such a failure…'_ tears began to pour down her cheeks and she silently sobbed.

Alice gripped the stained lab coat tightly. _'What use can I really do? I only end up being petrified...'_ the droplets of her tears fell down her chin, landing on the lab coat. Alice continued to sob, not realizing that a certain professor was watching her, and made his way over to her.

Stein stood beside the girl whose head was lowered, hearing her hiccup softly. He furrowed his brow in worry; he reached out to cup her cheek with his hand. Alice froze in place, feeling a hand cup her right cheek. Did she dare to look who it was? She raised her head and followed the person's hand. Her eyes landed on none other than Stein. His expression was filled with worry. Alice's eyes widen and her cheeks began to tingle from his touch.

They stared at each other. Her cheeks turning a shade of pink while her tears kept falling, landing on his fingers. Then he gently wiped away her tears with his thumb which caused her to slightly lean onto his hand. Stein wasn't certain if she was crying because of the pain, but looking at her this way was simply too much for him to bear. He could feel his chest tighten in discomfort. These strange feelings had been upsetting him for a while now, and yet, all he ever did to make these feelings disappear was to simply be by her side. As a professor, he had to reassure his student was safe from harm. Though, here she was, covered in bruises and with a stitched-up wound. Her hair was a mess, and her braided hair was loose with strands of hair poking out in various places. She looked awful.

This world thankfully had a few things that proved to be useful. With these items he possessed, he disinfected her bruises and cleaned off the dried blood from her face, legs, and stomach. Still, he did the best he could to attend to her as much as he could. But without the proper tools, and medicine, he was unable to ease her pain. The surgery he performed on her was without anesthesia, which was unnerving for him to do. He may have a fixation in dissecting things, but he knew his limits than to be carried away by his own twisted tendencies. He swore to never put her in harm's way, especially from himself.

That day where she willingly invited him into her home confused him. Why would a girl so blindly invite him, a monster, inside her home and knowing full well what he was capable of? He remembered asking the girl if she was afraid of being dissected by him, and her response was a simple shake of her head horizontally.

Stein was soon snapped back into reality by Alice squeezing his hand, which was still cupping her right cheek. She gazed at him worriedly, though the glare from his glasses made it difficult for her to see his eyes. A sigh escaped his lips, the glare disappearing from his glasses and he softened his gaze.

"You should be lucky you're still breathing." A relieved smile formed on his lips. "If I didn't follow you down the vortex…you could have died from your injury." Stein lowered his eyes to stare right at her abdomen that was wrapped in bandages with dried blood stains on the white silk. "The damage was severe; though I managed to properly clean the area and stitch them closed. I'm surprised none of your organs gushed out like I thought they would."

The statement made her blood run cold. Her face became as pale as snow and was staring at her professor with wide eyes. He raised his gaze towards her, noticing the horrified look plastered across her face. A giant sweatdrop appeared on his head, forming a wry grin.

"Heh, heh. Sorry about that." he apologized, in a way, as he removed his hand from her cheek. To her disappointment, "But I'm glad you're still breathing." Stein placed his hand on her head causing her curly strand of hair to twitch. "I almost lost my dearest student."

Her face became a red mess, and her eyes were swirling which resulted in her making incoherent and cute noises. The scene was amusing for him to watch, he cracked a playful grin. Alice hid her face with both hands, which added more to her cute meltdown, now embarrassed to look at him. He laughed, but this only made her more of a flustered mess.

What she did next was something he did not expect. Suddenly, Alice held onto his arm, which was the one that was on her head, and she proceeded to bite him hard on the head. Stein was caught off guard by her attack and yelped in pain. He pleaded for her to kindly get off of him, but she wouldn't budge. The girls' immense strength prevented him from escaping her grasp, she held onto his arm tight and the other on his shoulder. Though, what she didn't realize was that her knees were awfully close to his crotch. The sudden movement of her keeping him in place caused a few yet harsh amount of friction, and this provoked him to bring forth an unwanted bulge.

His cheeks were tinted in pink, and he grunted softly whilst being bitten down by Alice. There was the pain, yet there was also pleasure feeding inside him. Maybe teasing her wasn't such a good idea. Now, look at where he was now. Stein was being bitten by his own student which was not pleasant, whilst she was completely oblivious to her actions she was making him feel. Stein once again pleaded for her to stop, this time it earned him a strong bite from her. Feeling her teeth penetrate his skin making him wail in pain.

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _ **...**_

Alice was kneeled down on both knees and was in front of a crystal clear river where she had Stein's stained lab coat as she washed it under the water. Behind her was Stein sitting on a rock where he was hunched forward with one arm on his leg, and the other one rubbing his head. The professor had a rounded lump on his head with a bandage, which was when Alice finally released him from her mighty bite.

After the little incident, she's' been ignoring him. He deserves it, besides the injury wasn't that serious, to begin with. It was the bulge that irritated him, and it still hadn't left. Thinking that by sitting down it wouldn't be too noticeable, he immediately regretted the decision. This made it more noticeable and standing up was not an option. The only thing that kept it hidden from view was him slouching forward as he was now. Maybe it was a good thing she was ignoring him, but on the other side, he wanted to just stare at her violet orbs. He cursed under his breath, glaring down at his pants.

Alice hummed softly whilst finishing scrubbing off the last blood stain from the lab coat. A smile graced her lips; she stood up from the ground and walked over to Professor Stein. She now stood in front of him holding onto the wet lab coat in her grasp. Stein raised his gaze at Alice, the glare from his glasses disappeared, and she was now able to see his green eyes. She stared blankly at him. Stein rubbed his head, holding back a look of guilt. Wait, guilt? Since when did he ever felt guilty for teasing her? He let out a soft chuckle, a quirky smile appearing on his lips.

"Are you still mad?" her response to his question was a slight frown forming on her brows. He tilted his head to the side while shrugging lightly. "I figured you'd still be that way. Besides, I was only telling the truth."

Alice closed her eyes letting out a soft sigh. She handed over his drenched lab coat. Stein reached out to take his coat only for Alice to smack it onto his face. Now his entire head was soaked, as well as, his stitched pattern turtleneck shirt and his glasses. He could hear Alice giggle softly before walking away, leaving him in a dripping state. Stein removed the lab coat from his head, and his neutral gaze followed the girl whose back was turned.

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." Stein mocked the girls' actions. "You know if you planned on cleaning me with my lab coat you should have just said so." he looked down his coat and sighed. "How am I supposed to wear this," he said, muttering under his breath in displeasure.

Alice glanced over at the now disgruntled professor. She smiled to herself and shook her head at the same time. She continued to walk away, and Professor Stein silently followed behind with his damp lab coat over his shoulder.

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _ **...**_

Both walked alongside a mossy pathway which leads to a mossy forest. As the two of them went further in they came across a female statue which was carved alongside the rocks. The statue was crying, oozing an odd black liquid from her eyes. Her hands were underneath her eyelids in which the strange liquid trailed onto her hands, cheeks, and down her arms. The unpleasant drainage was splattered everywhere. It almost looked like someone had murdered an unfortunate someone in front of her. Though, that wasn't in this case.

"Odd. Why would a statue be carved in a place like this?" Stein spoke aloud.

Alice nodded in response and proceeded to near the odd substance.

"It appears to be that of black blood, but why on earth would be here of all places?"

She crouched down, staring at the sluggish liquid in front of her. Tilting her head to the side, and curiously outstretched her hand to touch it. Though she instantly stopped her tracks when a gruff voice spoke to her, the man's voice echoed throughout the area.

 ** _"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."_**

Alice instantly stood up but stumbled to stay upright and accidentally fell. Luckily, Stein rushed to her side and caught her in his arms. Alice was startled and was searching for the culprit who spoke, but nobody was here except for her and Stein.

Soon enough, a man appeared out of thin air: He appeared to be in his mid-forties, with black messy hair and pale skin that was covered with ebony colored tribal tattoos. The man looks awfully underweight. He wore a black, long-sleeved, buttoned-up shirt which was halfway open, which was showing off his cleavage and parts of his chest, along with some black skinny jeans and was barefooted. But the eerie part of this man was his cat-like chrome colored eyes which appeared to be glowing, and he had a sinister smile plastered on his lips that could send shivers down to the very bone. Yet the most baffling of all was his big pointed gray cat ears which had a silver hoop earring in his left ear, along with his long tail that had a tuft of fur in the end.

"Touching the black liquid will only suck the life out of you in a matter of minutes. You should be lucky I intervened or else you would have been devoured of your precious life," he stated, swinging his tail back and forth.

Stein moved Alice behind him with his arm outstretched behind her and was standing in front of her protectively. This caused her to blush lightly and began to fiddle with her fingers. "Who the hell are you?" Stein questioned the newcomer.

The man simply tilted his head to the side. "Aren't you the rude one? Hasn't anyone taught you manners? That is no way to treat a stranger if no harm has ever been done."

The man disappeared and then reappeared beside Alice, snatching a strand of her hair and sniffed it. She was frozen in place which left her extremely flustered and a little uncomfortable at the moment. Stein swiftly turned around and glared at the man in shock.

"My, what lovely hair you have." he complimented Alice. "Such a beautiful maiden like you are very rare in this world. Allow me to introduce myself." he bowed to Alice before glancing up at her flustered face.

"The names Lynx, and yours is Alice, correct?" She slowly nodded. "It is an honor to finally meet you, and I see you brought along a special guest." he glanced over to Stein who was certainly ticked off.

"I'm not a 'special guest'. To put it lightly, I'm her professor." he glared at Lynx. "Now, would you please, and kindly step away from my student or else I will not have a problem dissecting you." Stein lips formed into a sadistic smile as his eyes gave off an eerie vibe to it, which made Alice shiver at the sight. "A unique specimen you are deserves to be studied, thoroughly."

Stein now stood in front of Lynx, towering over the humanoid - felines' short height. Lynx didn't flinch by his threat and only stared at him with his own unwavering smile. Poor Alice was in the middle of it. All she could do was watch and hope the two men wouldn't try to kill each other. It would only make matters worse and consider the fact that she and Stein were currently stuck in this unknown world.

"Your statement is noted." Lynx stepped away from her, shoving his hands into his jeans. "But, as I said before, I am no threat to you. In fact, you need me." he motioned both hands to his chest, his tail twitching slightly.

Stein narrowed his eyes at him. "Tsk, as if we need you to guide us. We are perfectly fine without your help."

Lynx shook his head. "On the contrary, you will only get yourself killed. This isn't like your dimension and it is far from being safe. Nothing is safe here."

Alice stood next to Stein, both looking at each other with questionable looks at each other before they turned their gaze back to Lynx. "What do you mean by that? And why isn't it safe?" Stein asked the feline, whose gaze darkened yet he kept smiling.

"A new law reigns in this world, and frankly I am not here to pat you on the back when something dire happens to the both of you." he continued. "Insidious creatures run amuck this world, excluding me, of course. This place will always be corrupted."

Lynx suddenly cackled, covering his mouth with his hand, before staring directly at them. His smile suddenly grew, forming into a wide grin and a crazed look in his eyes.

 _ **"Welcome to Eufarland."**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**~A Place To Call Home~**_

"I know the perfect place for us to stay. All I need do is to pay a visit to an old friend of mine, and then we'll be on our way." Lynx said as he guided Stein and Alice through the valley.

As they walked further into the dense forest that was when the scenery began to change. More rivers and streams are common in such a large forest like this one. The heights of the trees are taller than what they were used to seeing, and the barks of the trees looked much thicker. Colorful mushrooms were located in various places throughout the area, which came in many shapes and sizes, and lots of flowers. But what surprised them the most were large game pieces around the place which were; marbles, jacks, dominoes, and dice. All of them covered in moss that clung on to the pieces, though worn out they may appear to be, but they still retained its colors.

 _'This place certainly shows off much of its unique color.'_ Alice complimented inside her head, admiring the place, whilst quietly walking alongside Stein.

He's been awfully quiet. Alice wondered what was going on inside the professor's head. He didn't even bother to turn the screw from his head. This was an obvious sign that something was bothering him, and had no plans on spitting it out anytime soon. She leaned closer to him, and just when she was about to tug on his shirt Lynx suddenly spoke. This caused her to flinch, quickly hiding her hand before Stein could even notice.

"Ah, here we are!" Lynx blurted out with both his arms upon his hips.

He approached the large tree, and then he pressed the bark with his hand. A soft click was heard. Instantly, an odd-looking contraption appeared from above. It took an appearance of a metal swing, but it was replaced with strong ropes and on the bottom, was a wooden platform which was designed to hold up two people at most. Finally, in the middle was a switch with a golden hoop attached to a chain.

"I'll go on ahead and wait for you two up top. Don't stay too long or else you will become prey?" Lynx hopped onto the platform, pulling down the chain switch. "Ta ta!" he waved before being lifted up into the air and disappearing inside the thick leaf's above.

Alice shuddered, staring at the corner of her eyes for any signs of an enemy lurking around the place. She suddenly felt a hand brush against her shoulder and turning her head to stare at Professor Stein who had a comforting smile. A smile spread across her lips and her cheeks began to burn lightly. Suddenly, the contraption came down as they made their way towards it. Stein was the first to hop on the platform while Alice stood there, fiddling with her fingers. He took most of the space which means she had to somehow make room for herself. She was a flustered mess. Stein gazed down at her in confusion.

"If the lack of space is what makes you uncomfortable I can just go ahead," he said bluntly. Her head shot up with wide eyes and waved her hands in front of her in disagreement.

Alice hesitated. Hopping onto the cramped platform and held onto the ropes on either side. Stein pulled down the golden hoop and the contraption took them up; passing by the many leafs around them. As it took them up higher, a sudden bump made the contraption sway slightly. But the tiny movement caused Alice to lose her footing, and Stein quickly threw his right arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Her face quickly turned into a darker shade of red. She was never used to being this close to him. A small and quick hug was enough to satisfy her, but this? This was something she yearned for. Finally, when the opportunity came it made her feel flustered.

 _'Close… so close…'_

Her mind was a complete mush. Both her hands were on his abdomen while she stared blankly and nervously at his shirt. When she moved back slightly, he pulled her closer to him in which she almost buried her face into his shirt, and now her forehead touched his chest.

Alice's heart began to race that she could practically hear it thumping inside her eardrums. Being this close to him never felt… safer. A smile rose to her lips. Although, the moment didn't last long as the contraption finally came to a stop. Carefully, they both got off the platform where Lynx waited for them, leaning onto the bark of the tree.

"Glad you two came. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show, but, no matter." he stepped away from the tree trunk revealing a door that magically appeared out of nowhere. "Come inside! It's quite spacious than what you may think." he stepped inside and disappeared through the door.

Alice walked over to the door, cautiously looking inside, but all she saw was a long hallway and in the end, was a barely lit staircase. She soon stepped inside, walking down the ominous hallway, while Stein followed behind. Both made their way down the stairs. At the bottom, Lynx was relaxing on an oddly shaped loveseat. Alice's eyes widen, her mouth agape staring off at the large and colorful looking room; it appeared to be a living room. She walked over to a glass table next to the loveseat where Lynx sat; she observed the fishbowl which was filled with skeleton-like fishes.

"I do hope you find this place comfortable. It isn't much, but you might as well call it home." Lynx said, waving his left hand slightly. Alice turned her head towards Lynx, who had his eyes on her and she smiled.

"Interesting," Stein whispered to himself, staring at the fishbowl with deep curiosity. "I must say, these creatures would be great test subjects." A grin formed on his lips.

Alice formed a nervous smile and gently stroking her cheek with her index finger. She exhaled softly, _'I really need to use the bathroom. Maybe I should ask Lynx.'_ Right when she was about to do a few hand gestures to the man… um, feline? He interrupted her.

"The bathroom is down the hallway to your right."

 _'How did he…?'_ she blinked several times staring at him in disbelief, and then she smiled. 

…

…

…

…

…

Alice stood in front of the large mirror in which she now stared at her reflection. She stood there without her torn up sweater and was now staring down at the wound wrapped around in bandages. The bandages were slightly stained with blood and had some dirt spots which weren't noticeable. She stroked the area gently only to wince in pain quietly. The pain was still there which a good thing to know, and there was the bad thing about it. Now she must be careful not to put too much force into doing stuff, otherwise, she would end up reopening it. Alice furrowed her brows before sighing softly.

She went through her small, yet roomy backpack in search of a long-sleeved shirt. She pulled out a black long-sleeved shirt with the academy logo on the left side of the breast. Right when she was about to put it on, someone knocked on the door making her jump. She clenched her shirt onto her chest which only covered her bust.

"Alice, is everything okay in there?" Stein's voice asked.

She blushed profusely. _'Ahh! Professor Stein is on the other side. What am I going to say to him? Oh, right. I can't really say anything. Think, think, and think!'_ Alice basically screamed at herself to do something, until finally, she had an idea, a not so good one.

Alice's right hand hovered onto the doorknob, and the other was covering her chest with the shirt. She twisted the doorknob and slowly opened the door to peek out. Stein stood there looking bored as usual. His eyes landed on Alice who had a nervous smile and her cheeks were tinted with red. He raised a brow in confusion.

"Why are you hiding from me?" the question caused her entire face to heat up.

She now averted her gaze to the floor, and this made him frown slightly. Steins' eyes landed on her exposed shoulder then down to her barely covered chest. Stein's cheeks tingled from the sight and he immediately looked away in embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah…I…um. I'll just be in the other room if you need me." The flustered professor quickly walked away from the door and down the hallway he went.

Alice closed the door behind her and let out a sigh of relief. She put on the long-sleeved shirt which fits perfectly as it now shows off her wonderful curves. The shirt had a nice scoop shaped collar showing off a little bit of cleavage. She grabbed the torn sweater and then she exited the bathroom. As she walked down the hall and passed an open door- - wait a door? Alice took a few steps back and looked inside the room.

No one occupied the empty room, though there were a few things inside: a cabinet drawer which had a strange color combination of red, blue, yellow and purple. A large king sized bed with a thick brown cover which was in the middle of the room, and it had a bunch of pillows on top. There was also a door to the left and to her right was a square portrait of a mountain that had a waterfall hovering in mid-air.

She was so absorbed by the oddness of the room that she entered it without realizing it herself as she looked around the room without a care in the world. Alice now sat on the edge of the bed with a smile spreading across her lips. The cover was soft to the touch similar that of a sheep's fur coat.

"Lovely isn't?"

Alice turned her head towards the door where Lynx stood with his arms crossed. "The room isn't much but I hope you find it comfortable to your liking." Lynx entered the room as he now stood in front of the bed. She smiled and gave him a thumb up sign in response.

"Good. It's nice to know that, especially from you." He winked playfully, which made her blush and look away. "Are you always this silent?" Lynx tilted his head to the side.

Alice began to use sign language with a nervous smile on her lips. ****I don't usually talk. I prefer to use my notebook to talk. Not many people can understand sign language you know? ****

Lynx hummed, his tail swaying slowly. "I believe you, though I doubt you would be able to say anything at all."

Her expression changed drastically, now staring blankly at him with a deep frown written across her face. Lynx simply hummed softly as his tail swayed back and forth. Alice looked away with a sad look in her eyes.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me and you should be thankful that Stein isn't eavesdropping on us," he reassured.

Lynx stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. "I hate to be rude, but how long will you keep this little charade going? Sooner or later he will uncover your little secret, and when it comes to that, the outcome will not be pleasant." he purred.

Her head shot up with wide eyes, she glared at him. Alice clenched the sheets of the bed tightly under her grasp. _'How can he just say that like it was nothing? Maybe…he's right.'_

The thought of Stein finding out pained her deeply. She didn't know what to do. In the beginning, he would always try and get her to speak to him but she simply couldn't and instead would answer him with her flashcards or her notebook. A question came to mind would Stein still consider her a friend or will he simply reject her?


	13. Chapter 13

_**Comforting Depression**_

* * *

It was a quiet night, Alice hasn't been able to sleep for a while now. It's been a week since they had arrived in Eufarland and everything seemed so normal. Yet, she couldn't shake this unnerving feeling away. It just stuck to her like a piece of gum which refused to be pulled away.

Now, she was staring out at the window to her left. The stars practically sparkled above the skies and the light illuminated her room.

Alice had her right hand on top of her forehead whilst continuing to stare out the window. The feeling in her chest was awful and the only thing that could've taken the feeling away were her pills. Sadly, she lost them while entering this dimension where there is a very low chance that she will ever get back home.

This empty and emotional feeling was something she was all too familiar with. It was depression. She never welcomed it and this was slowly eating her from the inside. No one knows about her condition not even Kid. Alice didn't want her friends to worry and she felt that she would be too bothersome. They were always so kind to her and made her feel accepted for who she really is. Although, her dark and negative thoughts plagued her mind like a virus waiting to kill it's victim slowly. It frustrated her to no end, and she wished that these unwelcome thoughts could just disappear.

Her lips soon began to quiver, as well as, her eyes which began to water. _'Damn it…'_

Alice sat up on her bed and felt her body go all numb, and the tightening in her chest was getting worse as the minutes passed by. The only thought that was running through her mind was to seek comfort from somebody.

Alice got out of bed and shuffled her way out of the room and walked down the barely lit hallway. It didn't matter which door she knocked to wake them up. All she wanted was to fill this emptiness inside her. She now stood in front of a door as she reached out her trembling hand knocking on the door gently but loud enough for the person to bear it. When no one answered she knocked again and this time hearing a faint shuffle inside.

At this point, she grew impatient and tears began to cloud her vision but waited anyway.

The doorknob twisted as the door open inwards. She didn't see the person's face and her eyes were facing down on the floor. Only catching a glimpse of the person's bare feet. The man who stood before her was a droopy looking Stein. His hair was disheveled and strands of hair were poking out in various places. The bored look in his eyes appeared more droopy than ever, and to have someone wake him up in the middle of the night was something he did not expect. Stein's shoulders were slumped forward as he now stared groggily at Alice.

"Hn…Alice?" Stein looks down at her with a confused look written across his face.

Without any hesitation, Alice quickly walked passed him.

Stein closed the door and tiredly walked over to Alice who's back was facing him. Alice was trembling at this point and her tears began to trail down her cheeks in response she bit the bottom of her lip.

Stein yawned and soon began to twist his screw in a lazy manner. When he called out her name she turned around to face him with watery eyes and she was biting her lower lip to somehow prevent the tears from falling. In a blink of an eye, his drowsiness disappeared and was now fully alerted to what was going on.

Stein threw his arms around her and pulled her close to him, one hand was on her head and the other gently rubbing her back. His hand slowly moved away from her head down to her chin, then he gently raised her head. Alice stared at him; her lips were quivering and a single tear trailed down her puffy cheeks. Stein furrowed his brows together and wiped away the tear with his thumb. Alice grabbed his shirt and gripped it tightly but also making sure her nails didn't dig into his flesh.

Stein gently leads her to his side of the bed where they sat down. He kept his hands on her shoulders and tried to comfort her the best he could. Alice buried her face into his chest and began to sob in a silent and uncontrollable manner that almost looked like she was choking. As the minutes flew by, the poor girl was a wreck. She emitted a soft hiccuping noise along with a few sniffles.

Moments later, Stein was now laid down in bed with Alice to his left, his head pressed against the comfy pillow. He glanced down at Alice, whose head was on his chest sleeping soundly. A gentle smile formed on his lips. His left arm draped around her waist comfortably and the grey colored sheets were covering them mid-torso section.

The moon was still above the starry skies, surprisingly, the moon was not grinning eerily down at them. The change in dimensions surely boggled them at first and the atmosphere was extremely different then to what they were used to. This new world and its strange creatures have certainly caught Stein's eye. He enjoys dissecting the creatures without being told not to by his co-workers, yet somehow Alice manages to stop him before he could even open them up.

A smile spread across his lips at the thought and chuckled. His eyes drifted down to Alice's sleeping form. Suddenly a yawn escaped his lips and his eyes began to feel heavier before finally he was consumed by sleep.

Outside his full circle window stood a shadowy figure seemingly staring intently at them, it's slim and stained white mask reflecting the window where it currently stood. The mask had three large claw marks; the large gaping claw was in the middle that travels down its forehead and ended halfway onto its life-like nose while the other two were clawed onto its eyes.

Lastly, it had black colored lips that seemed to be smudged over time which showed off the lips natural wrinkles.

The figure somehow couldn't break through the window which was enchanted to rid off unwanted visitors such like itself. The masked figure made a sound that could be mistaken for someone gurgling rather violently and wheezing at the same time before it seemingly vanishes without a trace.


	14. Chapter 14

**Wretched Creatures In The Forest**

* * *

The sweet smell of peppermint filled the moist air of the bathroom where a peculiar Professor stood in the middle of the stall. The cool refreshing water made contact with his skin and his silver-gray hair was soaked as the drops of water trickled down his face. His well-built body was covered in stitches of which he had experimented on himself years ago. Stein pressed his forehead, and both arms, against the wall where the swiveling nozzle was aiming down at him. A sigh escaped from his lips, feeling the water pour down on top of his head where it traveled down his back. His mind fades into dullness and everything is a foggy illusion.

Minutes had gone by, he shuts down the water and steps out of the stall where he grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist. He held a small towel of which he used to dry off his completely drenched hair. As he exited the bathroom his eyes drifted off towards Alice who sat upright on his bed, fully awake and looking straight at him. There was an awkward silence floating around the air, and the next thing he knew Alice's face turned scarlet and looked away in embarrassment.

He simply chuckled. "Glad to see you're awake."

Alice grabbed a pillow without looking at him and threw it in his direction. She managed to land a decent throw and the pillow smacked him square in the face, and then pillow fell with a light thud. Stein couldn't help but chuckle at this.

"I see. Well then, I'll be getting dressed," he said with a smile before searching for his clothes and putting them on.

Alice decided to glance over just to make sure he was fully dressed when in reality she saw his bare chest. Her face once again became red and she cursed for looking without him telling her to do so. I mean this was her professor for Death's sake!

Not wanting to stick around, Alice got up from the bed and strolled across the room, passing by Stein. Right when she had the doorknob in her grasp, she stopped by the sound of Stein's voice.

"Leaving already?" he asked nonchalantly.

Alice grew slightly nervous but she managed to look over to a now fully dressed Stein. She gave him a small smile along with a gentle nod in response. Stein returned the same gesture, "Alright then. Make sure to be ready for a couple of minutes. We'll be heading out to explore the area."

Alice nodded before exiting the room and quickly made her way towards her bedroom.

Stein stared at the door with a slight frown. He sighed "What's on that mind of yours?"

A couple of minutes went by; Alice is now fully dressed to explore the area. She had on her previous clothing from when she first arrived at this place, sadly her favorite sweater was beyond repair and instead wore the black colored long-sleeved shirt, denim shorts (in which she packed a spare in her _'magical'_ backpack), and her dark suede over the knee boots.

She combed her hair into a simple ponytail before adjusting her choker. Satisfied with the way she looks, she exited her room and headed straight towards the living room. In the room, Stein stood there with both hands inside the pockets of his pants and Lynx was sprawled comfortably on the oddly shaped couch. The feline male glanced over at her and his grin widen more than usual.

"Took you long enough." He purred, making her smile sheepishly.

Lynx disappeared and reappeared beside her. "Do be careful out there. I suggest you stick to each other rather than exploring off on your own." He said in a hushed tone, and she gave him a curt nod before walking over to Stein.

…

…

She hasn't been in this part of the forest before. Of course, there were many large trees, domino pieces, and the oddly shaped mushrooms everywhere but something about the atmosphere seems different. She couldn't put her finger on it; maybe it's just her imagination.

The sounds of pig snouts can be heard nearby. Some of them were even flying over them and through the trees.

Professor Stein was practically eager to capture one of the creatures, dissect them and then thoroughly study it from the inside out. However, Alice was preventing him from doing so. It was such a disappointment but he knew better than to argue about it. There were plenty more creatures in this world that he would eventually get his hands on, without Alice's knowledge of course. If she ever found out...well, that's a whole different story.

They were soon walking down a narrow pathway that was riddled with mushrooms, large chunks of domino pieces which had been somehow wedged in between the rocks - - some became the rock itself while other pieces were the floor they were walking on.

As they walk further down the path, Alice couldn't help but notice a drastic change in scenery.

The once lively forest that was filled with vegetation was now discolored and dull, with dead vegetation that was slowly being eaten away by parasites. There was a small lake to their right which was terribly contaminated by what looked like black ooze, it was bubbling too.

The entire area looked absolutely dreadful.

Stein, too, noticed the change and was now cautious, glancing at every direction in search of any potential danger that they could encounter along the way. He absentmindedly slowed his pace and was now walking beside Alice.

There was something in the air that felt so eerie, apart from the putrid smell that the area gave off. It's as if someone was watching them in a hostile manner. But…who?

 ***Crunch* - - *Crunch* - - *Crunch***

They came to an abrupt stop and were now standing still as a statue. Both of them waited for the noise to resume. It was heard again not too far from where they stood. So they proceed with caution, and the closer they got the louder the crunching became.

Both of them stood behind a large boulder and the crunching was just beyond from where they were.

Stein looks over his shoulder down at Alice and gestured with his index finger, signaling her to remain silent. He moves closer to get a better look at what's making the noise. His head peeks out from the corner of the boulder and was looking straight ahead.

A couple of yards away, there stood a creature made entirely out of a black, oil-like substance. The creature had its back towards him, hunched forward as the crunching sound resumed. There was a sound that could only be described as tearing the flesh from the bone which was then followed by disgusting and loud chewing noises from the creature.

Below the creature was a pool of blood, and then Stein caught a glimpse of a human arm which was being eaten, and a mauled up torso in front of it.

Stein's face scrunched up in utter disgust. This...monstrosity was devouring human remains!

Alice peeks out from behind him and was now staring directly at the horrific scene. She instantly threw her hands over her mouth, letting out a muffled gasp of pure horror.

 _'The bloody hell was that - - that THING?!'_ Alice's eyes grew wide, and her pupils were quivering. The rest of her body slowly began to tremble.

Her fear, however, didn't go unnoticed. Stein places his hand behind her head while the other was wrapped around her waist. He pulls her close to his chest and felt her body tremble beneath his grasp. Stein was glancing around for any more of those hideous creatures that could appear at any given moment.

 _'Is this what he warned us about?'_ Stein's brows knitted together as Lynx's words echoed inside his mind. What Lynx said before...it all makes sense now.

His train of thought was interrupted as he felt a tug on his shirt. He looks down at Alice, her eyes were wide with her mouth slightly open but this look wasn't directed at him it was something right above him. Stein raised his head and his eyes instantly widened.

Above him stood a skinny creature that was suspended on the boulder where they concealed themselves in. The creature appeared to be human-like but with charcoal skin that looks similar to latex rubber, was on all fours, a bandage wrapped around its eyes which had blood stains on where its eye sockets are, large sharp teeth with no lips whatsoever and had large, twelve inch long claws. It looked like a something that was made up for a horror movie.

A guttural noise escapes from the throat of the creature as it shifts from the boulder before leaning down. Its long body was now above Stein's head and its face was inches away from Alice's. Neither of them dared to move a muscle while the creature stood there and then it began to sniff around. It edges close to Alice's face and she instinctively moves her head to the side as it inhales deeply before huffing loudly. The creature moves back and disappears on the other side of the boulder.

They wasted no time and left the area as quickly as they could.

...

...

"Now, now - - I understand your displeasure at the moment, Stein."

Stein glared at the grinning male if looks could kill he would want this man - - creature - or whatever he is, dead on the spot. "Do you really, Lynx? I'd like to know what those _things_ were back there, not to mention that one of them was this close to harming MY student!"

He edged forward and suddenly felt a pair of hands grabbing on to his right arm. Stein looks down to see Alice holding him in place. Her brows knitted together and her eyes were screaming with worry. His tense muscles relax and his facial features soften.

Lynx hums in thought and closes his eyes. "A creature made out of an oil-like substance - - a creature with elongated claws, sharp teeth and a bandage around its eyes..." he trails off and he opens his eyes. "There's no doubt that you two have encountered the Hunter and the Scavenger."

Both gawked at him with their heads becoming slightly bigger and their bodies a bit smaller, just like a chibi.

Lynx stares at them blankly with a single drop of sweat trailing down his cheeks. "The creatures you encountered." They exchanged glances to each other and their mouths formed an 'O'.

He folds his arms in front of his chest and his grin wavered ever so slightly. "Tch, honestly, you two share the same clueless minds - - perhaps the both of you should go on a date maybe that way you will share your foolishness to each other." he deadpanned, and pivoted away from them, not realizing that their faces were a redden mess.

"We have bigger problems to attend to." Lynx looks over his shoulder. "I've been seeing many more creatures lately around this area and I'm afraid they will keep appearing if we don't do something about It." he averted his gaze and was now staring out the rectangular window in front of him.

His grin grew wider. "Hope you two are prepared for what's to come because the creatures that inhabit this world will kill you... and most importantly." he pivoted to face them with a twisted grin on his lips.

"They _will_ eat your **soul**."


	15. Chapter 15

_**I truly am sorry for making you wait for this chapter to come. There's been a lot of hard brainstorming for this story and it's not easy when I'm doing it alone. My brain sometimes can't keep up with me. I've properly thought long and hard for what will come next and I'd rather put an effort in each chapter than doing it sloppily. No one wants a poorly written chapter now do we? So, without further ado, let the story begin. ~**_

* * *

 **Pilgrims to the Unknown**

* * *

Water cascaded down a series of rocky outcrops, giving the effect of many waterfalls rather than just one. Then it flowed on its way, nonchalant as if nothing had occurred. The water here is crystal clear on these parts of the forest, but further down a small pathway was the dull part of the forest. This was the place where Alice and Stein had encountered these creatures from the previous day.

Lynx, Stein, and Alice were standing beside the rocky outcrops. They were currently discussing a plan on where to start their search into the somber area.

Lynx folds his arms in front of his chest and hums in thought. "Who knows how many sly creatures could be in there, but we all must take extreme precautions." he unfolds his arms and gestures his index finger to them. "One false move and you'd be dead faster than you could say Death."

Alice swallows hard, clutching the hem of her shirt nervously. _'Great.'_

The ebony haired male/feline shrugs. "Attacking them IS an option, but I would highly recommend not engaging them. Not without a proper weapon in your inventory—which clearly, you two are lacking at the moment." He suddenly disappears and then reappears beside Alice.

This startled her from her train of thought. She then stumbles to the side, bumping into Stein.

A sly grin forms on his lips while he got a glare from Stein. "Would you stop doing that? Obviously, you don't understand personal space."

Lynx simply shrugs and his grin grows wider. "I could do that… but I won't."

Stein narrows his eyes, almost growling at the guy. "I hate him," he grumbled.

Alice looks over her shoulder at Stein, he looked really irritated. She couldn't blame him for feeling this way. She's surprised he didn't try to dissect him—that she knows of—when they first met him. I guess Stein has more self-control than she originally thought or he just doesn't like the guy in general.

"Let's not stick around for long," Stein said, walking past Alice and then stops right next to Lynx.

She didn't know what went on between the two. Stein had mumbled something for Lynx to hear, whatever it was she could only guess it was some kind of threat. She doesn't know for sure what was said, she can only speculate, nothing more.

Stein moves away from Lynx and walks over to the entrance. He stops and turns to the side, his eyes landing onto Alice.

Alice instantly perked up then proceeded to join Professor Stein's side. Without warning, she was stopped by Lynx—by blocking her path. All she could do was look up at him quizzically.

He didn't muster a word before he reaches out and grabs her hand, opening her palm. Then with the other hand, he placed an 8.5 ounce (oz) round glass bottle with a cork stopper. She looks at the bottle intently and notices there was a strange lavender colored liquid inside. The liquid was thick in density and whatever mixture it has, it looked like something was causing it to emit a soft glow—mimicking the emission of light by living organisms, like bioluminescence.

She stared at the bottle fixedly before raising her gaze at Lynx. She was awfully stunned to realize that he was staring right back at her—without his signature everlasting grin.

"Listen carefully, Alice." he motions his index finger at the bottle. "This potion contains a special substance that will aid you… and Stein," the way he said Stein's name was enough to confirm her suspicion—he dislikes Steins. There's no doubt about it.

She simply nods. Already speculating the purpose of the potion, but he wasn't quite finished with his explanation. He leans over, his mouth hovering above her ear. The heat radiating from his breath caused her hairs to stand on end.

"But you must ONLY use it when it's absolutely necessary. If the need does arise, drink half of it and give the rest to him." was all he uttered before moving away.

His words kept repeating themselves inside her head. Special substance - - drink half of it - - what in the world did he gave her? What does it really do when she uses it? Maybe she shouldn't have gone ahead of herself. This really made her reevaluate her previous speculation about the use of this potion.

"Alice."

She blinks at the sound of Stein's voice calling her from afar. She poked her head out from Lynx's arm to see Stein, waiting patiently for her.

 _Shoot!_ She shouldn't be wasting any more precious time.

Alice puts away the potion inside her backpack, bids him farewell—using sign language and thanking him for the potion. Then she makes her way towards Stein as they now head inside the forest.

They arrived at the site which is the very same one they'd encountered these creatures. However, the remains were nowhere to found—no spoils were left, not even the bones! The only thing that remained was the dried up blood which was stained on the ground.

Stein observed the dried up blood stains, searching for any signs of footprints. Only to realize that there were none whatsoever.

His stomach would twist uncomfortably; it's a sensation that didn't sit well with him. He didn't like that feeling one bit. He stood upright after kneeling down to inspect the dried blood and then looks around the place.

Stein saw two pathways they could take, one to his left and the other lead straight ahead. Since they're here to investigate the area it's natural they choose where to go. An idea came into mind and he turns to face Alice—standing right behind him.

Her curious gaze meets his. He was entranced by the unique pigmentation in her iris that he almost forgot why they were here in the first place.

Stein blinked a hint of pink appearing on his cheeks but the glare of his glasses made it less obvious. "There are two paths that might lead us somewhere entirely new to this place. I'm not sure where but that's why we're here now, isn't it?"

He straightens himself, shoving his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. "I suggest we split up. That way it gives us more time to explore the grounds throughout this place, plus it makes this process go a whole lot faster."

Alice felt her heart plummet into the bottom of her stomach. Split up in a place known to have danger literally written all over it? It's a terrible idea, to begin with! Not to mention Lynx specifically told her that they shouldn't split up under any circumstances.

Her panicked expression should have been enough to knock some sense into him—being mute—it made things difficult for her. All she could do is hope that by merely seeing her reaction to this it would make him rethink about his decision.

It didn't work. His back was now facing her; he didn't even glance at her!

It frustrated her, she could feel herself pouting. Knowing that either of them could end up getting hurt—possibly killed—was already enough to frighten her. She could already picture it in her mind; she could see herself walking through the darkest parts of the forest and suddenly she stumbles upon Professor Stein's corpse.

 _NO!_ She shook the image out of her mind immediately. Alice lunged herself towards Stein, snatching the fabric of his lab coat with her hand and tugging his arm desperately.

Stein was now looking down at her—confusion was written on his face. The longer he stared at her the more he notices a conflicting look from her. A nagging feeling kept tugging from the pit of his stomach, it was a feeling he isn't too familiar with.

He blinks before his eyes soften up. A chuckle escapes from his lips. "Getting a little clingy now aren't you?"

Her features didn't change, except for a slight blush creeping on her cheeks. She releases her grip on the fabric of his lab coat, allowing Stein to turn and face her once again.

Stein extended his hand, placing it on top of her head causing her cowlick to twitch. "You shouldn't worry yourself too much. You're an exceptional Meister, and if you're in any sort of trouble just call out to me," he reassured her with a smile.

He removes his hand from the top of her head and pivots around then proceeded to walk away. She watched in silence as he headed towards the path on the left, his silhouette slowly disappearing before he was nowhere to be seen.

Alice just stood there; staring off into the direction she will be headed. She swallows nervously then glances around the already frightening place.

Being here once again—this time by herself—she could now feel the vibe that this place threw off, it was unpleasant and off-putting. From the things she's experienced so far they weren't all too great, to begin with. Who knows how many more places like this exist in this world that could be far worse than this one. What a lovely thought to worry about.

She lets out a deep sigh, which calmed her nerves even if it was for a little bit. _'Everything will be ok. It'll be ok…I hope.'_

-x-

Inside the classroom was silent, a little too silent for their comfort. Luckily, the silence was substituted by the downpour coming from the outside. Now the students were murmuring loudly which were muffled by the crashing of the rain.

Everyone in the room looked like they were having a chipper day, all except one. The middle row up on the third row was Death the kid, and beside him were his partners Liz and Patty talking to each other.

The voices of his partners were slowly dying out and his mind was overflowing with worrying thoughts. There were rumors regarding the incident in Sacramento, it was all he could think about—everyone, even the teachers knew about it!

What about Alice? He hasn't heard from her since his last conversation with her.

 _Could it be she's…no._ He refused to believe that his closest friend is dead…but what if…and there goes the negative side of the brain again. He cursed himself for having such doubtful thoughts.

One important question crossed his mind; the rumors about Sacramento…were they really true? He had to—he must know the truth! The only one who can confirm this was his father.

The atmosphere inside the death room felt somber, depriving it of any sort reassurance, as well as its lively energy. This room has felt worse days but this was nothing compared to their previous battle against Asura. It felt much more…emotional.

He could feel a presence behind him. Yellow eyes burning through the back of his head like daggers. This was an inevitable outcome and he knew far too well why he'd come here so suddenly.

His gaze was on the mirror before him, and his reflection was staring right back. His cartoony mask looked the same as always but something seemed different, he looked distressed. However, only a handful of his coworkers would catch on to what he truly felt, since he was the type of person to cover up what he was feeling. He just didn't want them to worry for an ancient being like him.

"Hey, Kiddo. What brings you here on this fine day?" His voice sounded drained instead of his usual chipper self.

With all the work being piled onto his shoulders lately, it left him worn out. Yet, he was able to be on his feet for having such a rough time with recent events.

Kid felt the palms of his hand sweating accompanied by his heart throbbing. He was afraid to be told the truth of Alice's fate. _It can't be true, right?_

He exhales through his teeth, his breath coming out shaky when he spoke. "Are the rumors true?"

Kid waited for an answer, but there was none. The silence was eating away his patience and his anxiety was slowly surging itself uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach. _Why…why wasn't he giving him an answer?!_

"Please, father, I need to know what happened!" he begged, the tone of his voice sounding desperate. "Alice…is she…?" He trailed off and the look on his face shifted into a frown, then his gaze moved towards the ground.

Lord Death moves himself to the sides to see his son's reflection through the mirror. The look on his face was enough to break anyone's hearts. Death's eyes frowned, the aching in his chest progressing the longer he stared. He can relate the way his son was feeling. Since he had to witness the events through his mirror at that time, watching helplessly as both Meister's disappeared through the portal below, never to be seen again.

He pivots around; making his way over to his son before kneeling down and hugging him. "Don't think like that kiddo. I'm certain she's alive and well somewhere."

"H-how can you be certain?" Kid's voice trembled, looking at his father from the corner of his eye.

"Alice is one of the most exceptional Meister's to ever exist. She's a strong one too." He pulls away keeping his hands firmly on Kid's shoulders. "Besides, she's not alone."


End file.
